The Dog Star
by Rose de Sharon
Summary: AU, years before “The Philosopher’s Stone”: Sirius’ beginnings at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
1. The Hogwarts Express

**THE DOG STAR**

By Rose de Sharon

**Disclaimer:** any recognizable characters belong to J.K. Rowling and the Time Warner Brothers.

**Author's notes:**

- English isn't my native language and I don't have a beta-reader, consequently all mistakes are mine.

- This is my first attempt at a Harry Potter fan fiction: please be nice!

- I am a fan of Sirius Black, which means I'm **NOT** a fan of Albus Dumbledore or Severus Snape. Consider yourself warned! ;-)

- This story isn't canon to the events described in OOTP, HBP and DH.

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**Chapter 1: The Hogwarts Express**

Aboard the Hogwarts Express, an eleven-year-old boy was sitting on the compartment's seat and he was absently staring at the panorama displayed through the window. The countryside was an enchanting sight with its display of mountains, farms, harvested fields and trees whose leaves were already showing the first colours of autumn, but the boy wasn't attentive to the beauties of the panorama. His young face was handsome, enlightened by his beautiful grey eyes and framed by his dark hair, cut short following the strict orders of his mother. He was wearing a dark green knitted sweater and jeans, and his discarded black leather jacket was lying carelessly on the seat.

He was on his way to attend his first year of studies at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but his eyes were already clouded by worries. At eleven years of age, this boy already had his share of troubles with his parents, mostly with his mother who wanted him to show the proper behaviour according to his family's standards. Unfortunately, the boy had his own standards, which were in complete opposition to his family's; consequently, he had been the subject of various punishments, from being consigned to his room many times per week to be violently slapped across the face in public. But neither intimidation nor brutality had been efficient to discourage the boy from sticking to his principles.

The boy's name was Sirius Orion Black, oldest son of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, a family which prided itself for having produced pure-blooded wizards and witches for over a thousand years. Heated arguments were actually raging in Britain about the so-called superiority of Pureblood wizards against Muggle-born ones ("_Muggle_" being the term designing non-magic people; however, a child gifted with magic powers could be born from Muggle parents). For the whole Black family, there were no doubts that only the pure-blooded were the cream of the crop and Muggle-born wizards should be exclusively designed by the injurious term of _"Mudbloods"_. Except for young Sirius, who thought this kind of ideology was complete and absolute nonsense.

And there was the shadow of a powerful wizard who called himself Lord Voldemort roaming around; this man was gathering followers with absurd promises of a world "cleansed" of Muggles, Mudblood wizards, and even death so he and his minions would rule forever. His reputation was getting so frightful that he would only be designed as "You-know-who" or "He-who-must-be-named" by the general public or "The Dark Lord" by his fans, known as _"Death Eaters"_. For Sirius, this man was nothing but "The Dark Idiot".

The young boy sighed, and then he glanced at the paper bag containing sweets for the trip and a folded copy of the _Daily Prophet_. Right now, his stomach was knotted so tightly he couldn't even think to eat a few Chocolate Frogs, his favourite kind of candy.

Sirius wasn't nervous because he had left his home to go to a boarding school, in fact he had whooped in joy the day when the owl had delivered his acceptance letter for Hogwarts, on the first day of July. At last! He would be free from his parents' permanent scorn for months! His younger brother Regulus had been green of envy, since he had to wait two more years before he'd go to Hogwarts. His parents, Orion and Walburga Black, had considered sending their prime heir to another school since they had their doubts about the headmaster Albus Dumbledore, "_that Muggle-loving old fool"_ to quote Walburga, but Sirius had argued that his own parents had themselves made all their studies at Hogwarts and he wanted to pursue the family's tradition. Finally, they had relented, albeit reluctantly.

Sirius had been so happy to receive his acceptance letter, he had spent the rest of his summer packing his trunk and avidly reading his school books purchased at Diagon Alley! His mother had been furious to see Sirius so eager to escape from the Black Manor, but what could she do? Complain because her son wanted to study?

But now, even if young Sirius had escaped from his parents' mind control, he still had apprehensions about the forwarding months. Hogwarts was divided in four students' houses: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. Each house had its qualities and faults, but Slytherin had the reputation of being the place for Pureblood elitists. Sirius didn't want to be placed there, but he was worried that with his family's name and background, his doom would be spelt before he'd even start his studies.

The boy sighed again; worrying himself to death before even reaching the school was pointless. He'd cross that bridge when he reaches it! Making up his mind, he grabbed the newspaper and started working on a crossword puzzle printed in the funnies section.

After a long while, his compartment's door opened and a messily-combed, bespectacled boy of about his age pocked his head in.

"Hello!" said the boy. "Mind if we come in? We're looking for some peace and quiet!"

"Er… Not at all!" answered Sirius, jumping on the occasion to make some friends.

"Thanks, mate!" and the boy pushed forward a shy-looking kid hugging a bunch of books to his chest, just before slamming the door behind them to sit heavily on the seat.

Sirius put down his crossword puzzle and considered his new travelling companions. The boy wearing glasses had dark hair, blue eyes and there was an aura shining from him, which could mean either self-confidence or arrogance; right now, he was twisting between his fingers the cloth of his jean jacket, sporting a button pin proclaiming he was a fan of the Chudley Cannons Quidditch team. The other boy was his complete opposite: light brown hair, amber-coloured eyes, he was wearing earth-toned clothes and his gait was as if he was bearing the world's weight on his narrow shoulders.

"Please forgive our intrusion, but my friend here…" said the bespectacled boy while gesturing to the quiet kid, "… had a run-in with a bunch of idiots who wanted to give him a hard time. So, after a fistful of arguments, the said idiots ran away like the disgusting cowards they were and my friend wanted to find a safe place to recover from his ordeal."

"Actually," interrupted the brown-haired boy with a small smile, "I wanted to prevent you from hexing those guys all the way from here to China."

"And it would have served them right, too!"

"Do you want to get into trouble before even reaching Hogwarts?"

The bespectacled boy snorted in disdain, as if he couldn't care less about being punished for using magic outside the lawfully-allowed perimeters of his home or the school grounds.

"Have you tried to ask for help from a teacher?" asked Sirius. "I mean, they are supposed to maintain discipline aboard the train, aren't they?"

"Teachers?" scoffed the boy, "Oh, come on, adults? They are never here when you need them. Besides, they'd probably bore us to tears with a lecture about proper behaviour in public before turning a blind eye and going back to their businesses, so what's the use?"

Sirius couldn't repress a smile: there was something about the boy's free-spirited and rebellious attitude that echoed deep inside the young Black's mind.

"I'm James, by the way" said the wild-haired kid while extending his hand to the Black's prime heir. "James Potter and this is my friend, Remus Lupin."

"Pleased to meet you guys! My name is Sirius."

After a vigorous handshake, the boys started talking about their upcoming arrival at Hogwarts. Sirius passed along the bag of sweets and the sugar quickly loosened the tongue of his new friends. Within thirty minutes, Sirius had learned that James loved the Chudley Cannons Quidditch team, sports in general, playing pranks and causing mischief; on the other hand, he hated the Pureblood elitism, people who thought too highly of themselves, and detentions. Around a mouthful of Bertie Bots every flavoured beans, Remus had confessed his fondness for books, libraries, architecture and forests – that last point being the most surprising. But he strongly disliked bullies, injustices and indifference, especially from adults who were supposed to protect children.

Sirius couldn't think of an odder pair of future students: Sirius was an outdoor guy, Remus a bookworm, they had met for the first time while waiting for the Hogwarts Express on Platform ¾ at King Cross' Station and yet, they were already the best friends of the world!

"Who were the guys harassing Remus, by the way?" asked Sirius.

James snorted in disgust: "Same old, same old: Pureblood imbeciles! They picked on Remus because he has Muggle grandparents; consequently, he's not "pure" enough for those gits! Besides, Remus isn't what you call athletic, so they thought him an easy target."

"I may not be an athlete, James, but I know how to defend myself!" said Remus, his cheeks reddening in anger. "It isn't my fault if I have some… health issues."

"Now, now, Remy! Don't work yourself up!" said James. "I am not criticizing you, just stating a fact. You do look a little under the weather, mate!"

Remus sighed, and then nodded: "I've been sick last week… It takes time to recover from it."

An awkward silence followed; Sirius was feeling sorry for the brown-haired kid, who seemed to have turned into a book-addict simply because his health wouldn't allow him to play outside with friends as often as he'd wanted to. James looked embarrassed, as if he were worried his words might have offended Remus, but strangely it reassured Sirius: the Quiddich fan might be straight-forward and a bit arrogant, but he wasn't heartless.

The young Black opened his mouth, ready to propose more sweet treats to lift Remus' spirits, when the compartment's door opened again: this time it was a blond-haired boy with a nasty smile on his face, followed by a couple of mean-looking kids. Sirius' heart jumped straight to his throat as he instantly recognized the newcomers: the blond was Lucius Malfoy, the son of his parents' friends. The other ones were Victor Crabbe and George Goyle, also children of the Black's Pureblood acquaintances. Malfoy's grin widened when he spotted Remus, who had dropped his books on the floor out of fear:

"There he is, guys! Go get him!"

But before the two goons could make a move, James Potter jumped on his feet, grabbed his wand from under his jean jacket and pointed it at the aggressors.

"Oh no, you don't! Now, back off!"

Crabbe and Goyle instantly stepped back, alarmed at the sight of a wand being waved so closely to their mugs, but Malfoy snorted in disgust while remaining safely behind his acolytes:

"Defending a runt, Potter? Isn't it disgraceful enough your family is friendly with Muggle-born wizards?"

"I defend who I want, when I want, and where I want!" snapped James back. "And I don't need lectures from a yellow-belly boot-licking arse like you, Lucius Malfoy. If you think you're impressive with your high-and-mighty Pureblood attitude, you're sadly mistaken. Now get out of here and leave Remus alone, or you'll get a taste of a great pus-growing hex I've recently learned. And I don't care about using magic off the limits of the school!"

"Crabbe, Goyle! I told you to get the weakling!" barked Malfoy.

The two bullies looked undecided for a moment, but they finally decided it would be better to face James' wand than their leader's wrath. They took a step forward to the frightened Lupin but Sirius jumped into action, pointing his wand straight to the intruders with a resolute look in his face.

"You were told to back off! You're dumb or something?" asked the young Black.

Victor Crabbe and George Goyle's brutish faces paled considerable when two magic wands were pointed directly at them. They stepped back, bumping into Lucius Malfoy in their eagerness to flee the scene and reach the safety of the wagon's corridor. Malfoy slapped both their heads, disgusted by their cowardice, and then he turned around to see that James and Sirius were pointing their wands to him.

"Potter, you've just made a big mistake," sneered the blond boy. "You will learn the hard way that it doesn't pay to oppose me. I will not forget this insolence. I will make your life at Hogwarts a living Hell!"

"Promises, promises," answered James with a wide smile. "I love hearing the threats of bullies – especially when their bodyguards have run away! Not feeling so secure now, are you, Lucullus? Now get outta here or I'll kick your Pureblood butt!"

Malfoy did seem unnerved by both his goons' desertion and the sudden resistance encountered in his plans to beat Remus Lupin up. Sensing that neither James nor Sirius would lower their guards, he finally relented and walked back to the corridor, but he couldn't leave without a last barb:

"You disappoint me, Sirius. I would never have thought the prime heir of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black would defend such a pitiful Mudblood-issued whelp! What will **your** parents think, after I'll owl **my** father to tell him about this little incident?"

The compartment's door slammed behind Malfoy. Only then, did James and Sirius lower their wands to tuck them back into their jackets. The young Black turned around to see how his new friends were faring, but his blood turned into ice in his veins when he saw Potter's furious face and Lupin's betrayed eyes.

"Guys? W-What's wrong?" asked Sirius.

"You're a _**Black**_, that what is wrong!" growled James, shaking in rage. "Your family is famous for being Pureblood believers! Do you think we're not aware of your Mum and Dad claiming from the rooftops that Muggle-born children should be put down like unwanted puppies? That your relatives have worshipped You-know-who ever since that piece of bat droppings has started babbling about his superiority that has never existed in the first place? Or maybe you think we are so dumb we don't know about the Death Eaters meetings, where garbage-born like Malfoy Sr. and his goons attend with masks over their ugly faces!"

Sirius' handsome face paled after hearing James' accusations. He had feared his family name would bring him scorn from his fellow students, but he hadn't thought it would start as early as the trip in the Hogwart Express!

"No, James, you have it all wrong!" protested Sirius. "My family is in favour of He-who-must-not-be-named ideology, but I'm not! I've never been, actually, and it has brought me enough trouble from my parents!"

"Am I supposed to believe you?" snarled the bespectacled boy. "You've thought of yourself very clever, not telling us about your last name so you would feed on our confessions like a leech, haven't you? Well, for your information, I hate Pureblood fanatics like your folks, even if I'm from a non-Muggle family myself. In fact, all this nonsense about purity makes me feel like to puke all over you!"

"I am not a follower of You-Know-Who!" roared Sirius, loosing his temper. "Never have, never will be! Do you think I would have bothered helping you to protect Remus if I were in league with Malfoy and his bullies?"

"AH!" spat James. "For all I know, it was a ruse to convince us that you are sincere in your fake hate for You-know-who. Well, guess what? It didn't work! The day I believe a Black would be the day the moon will be made of vanilla ice cream! Come on, Remy! Grab your stuff and let's go; it stinks of hypocrisy in here!"

"Look, James," started the brown-haired boy who had picked up his books from the floor, "maybe we could give him the benefit of the doubt…"

"No, Remus! Don't get fooled by his words. Black-named, black-hearted, I'm telling you! My parents told me stories about his family that would make your skin crawl!"

James Potter grabbed Remus Lupin and the two boys left the compartment, slamming the sliding door behind them so hard its window pane cracked. Left on his own, Sirius sat down heavily before burying his face in his hands.

What this whole incident a taste of how it was going to be at Hogwarts for seven years? People scorning him simply because of his patronymic name? Students who wouldn't see farther than his family's reputation? And what about the teachers; would they snob him as soon as they'd read his name while calling the roll for the first time? Would they give him bad grades simply to avenge their Muggle-born relatives who had being harassed by Pureblood friends of the Blacks? Was Sirius already sentenced to a life of misery within the school's walls? Would he be banned from the Quiddich field, or forbidden to go to Hogsmead village during his third year? Maybe he would be so miserable at Hogwarts he'd have to beg his parents to send him to another school!

Warm tears escaped from Sirius' gray eyes but he was too upset to be bothered by how he would look if someone would pass by. The injustice of his situation was clenching at his heart, and for the thousandth time he wished he had a friend, a brother, who would stand by his side and defend him, who would fight with him through thick and thin. But Sirius had never been allowed this kind of relationship: Regulus was too busy playing the part of the "good son" to love his elder sibling. And the only playmates Sirius had known in his life had been children of his parents' Pureblood friends, as insufferable as their folks!

Sirius' eyes flashed in anger above the salty evidence of his sorrow running down his cheeks: he had never been afraid of people like Lucius Malfoy and his goons and it wouldn't start today. He'd punch their noses all year long if needed; and if James Potter didn't want to be his friend, so be it! Sirius would make some other friends!

The young Black sighed, and then he dried the tear tracks on his face using his sweater's sleeve; he was completely unaware that a tall, red-haired man wrapped in a battered cloak had witnessed James and Remus' exit from the compartment just before watching the young Black silently crying.

The red-haired man took a wand from under his cloak, pointed it at the compartment's cracked window, and whispered: "_Reparo_".

Instantly, the glass pane returned into an intact state. The man sighed deeply at the sight of the distraught Sirius, and then he walked down the compartment's corridor, resolute to have a few words with a gang of bullies lead by an aggressive blond-haired boy.

TBC…


	2. The Sorting Hat

**Disclaimer:** same as chapter 1.

**Author's notes:**

- Very big thanks to PadawanCassy and Speed G!

- The Sorting Hat's song is of my own creation.

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**Chapter ****2: the Sorting Hat**

The rest of the trip aboard the Hogwarts Express went uneventfully, even if Sirius was in such a state of misery that he wouldn't have noticed if a troll had attacked the train and smashed at the wagons while using a tree trunk as a club. Since Lucius Malfoy's aggression, followed by James Potter's harsh accusations, the young Black hadn't moved from his compartment's seat. The joy he had felt at making new friends, the hope he had for the future, all this had vanished by Potter and Lupin's disdain, which could be only a prelude to what was awaiting for him at the school. The boy was mulling so many dark thoughts in his mind that he didn't even notice the train had stopped. Only when shouts of joy rang across the wagon's corridor, followed by a trampling of feet, did Sirius realized they had reached their destination.

With a heavy heart, he quickly donned on his school uniform: white shirt, dark gray wool sweater and pants, plain black tie and cloak - he'd have to wear clothes bearing the colours of his Hogwarts house after he'd been sorted - grabbed his bag of sweets, his copy of the _Daily Prophet_, and exited from his compartment to jump on the platform.

Dusk was already falling and a huge bearded man named Rubeus Hagrid, dressed in an immense leather cloak, called out for the First Year students to follow him. Very impressed by the man's height, the new kids obeyed and walked in line, acting like chicks following a gigantic mother hen. Hagrid led them to a lake where small boats were waiting; then, he instructed the children to climb aboard the boats in groups of fours. Sirius noted that James and Remus had stayed together on the same embarkation, and then they all cruised across the lake without the help of any oars or sails.

Being in a boat that could magically move was already an exhilarating feeling, but it got even better when the illuminated structure of Hogwarts' castle appeared in the evening sky. All the children watched in amazement at this marvellous architecture of towers, pointed roofs, mighty walls, glass-stained windows, arched bridges and gates; for a moment, Sirius forgot his fears and anger to admire this beautiful sight. Hogwarts appeared like a second home and it was a very comforting feeling for a bunch of eleven-year-olds who were facing long months away from their parents for the first time of their lives. But for the Black heir, the school was more for him than a place to learn, play sports and sleep: it was the gate to his future freedom. He would study magic, earn good grades, and with his diploma he'd find a job and he'd be able to leave his parents' house forever. Orion and Walburga would probably disinherit him and curse his name for all eternity. Oh well, let them give all the Black fortune to Regulus, their good son and future slave, for all Sirius cared!

The boy's attention got distracted by the beautiful night sky above the castle. Hundreds of stars were already twinkling, but one in particular caught his attention: it was Sirius, the dog-star, sparkling at its usual 45-degree angle above the horizon. The young Black smiled at the sight of _his_ star, made a silent wish, and then winked in the direction of the Heavens.

The boat journey ended, and Hagrid took care that every First Year student was accounted for before guiding them to the castle's great gate, and then he banged his fist against the door three times. The gate opened and the children crossed the Entrance Hall, a huge room covered with thick carpets and columns supporting a neck-cricking ceiling: Sirius felt like entering in a cathedral. Later, they were lead to climb a large staircase made of white marble. There were armours, tapestries, banners decorating each wall and torches were constantly burning, giving not only illumination but also warmth within the school's walls. It was only early September, but there was already a chill in the air and the weather would certainly not improve in the following months.

At the top of the stairs a severe-looking witch dressed in emerald robes, named Professor Minerva McGonagall, greeted the First Years in such a no-nonsense tone that even Malfoy and his friends kept their mouths shut:

"Welcome to Hogwarts! In a few minutes, you will enter the school's Great Hall to join the teachers and the students for the feast. But before, you'll have to be sorted in which house you'll be for the next seven years. There are four houses in Hogwarts: Gryffindor, which is symbolized by a lion; Ravenclaw's mascot is a crow; Hufflepuff is represented by a badger and Slyterin by a snake. All houses had produced first-class wizards and witches for over a thousand years. They have their own history, nobility, pride, and your own house will become your surrogate family. Your accomplishments will earn you points; on the other hand, failures or rules-breaking will make you loose them. At the end of the school year, the house with the most points will win the House Cup, and it is considered a great honour. Now, stay here until I come back, and we will start the Sorting Ceremony."

Professor McGonagall pushed open the heavily-sculpted wooden doors of the Main Hall, giving barely the time to the children to get a glimpse of how it looked like, and disappeared inside the Great Hall. The First Year students looked at each other, worried about that Sorting Ceremony: would they have to perform magic tricks, at the risk of looking completely ridiculous in front of everyone? Or would they be asked questions about the use of potion components or the lives of famous wizards? The Muggle-born kids were especially nervous, since they had been aware of their magical powers only recently, but Sirius saw that the Pureblood-issued weren't looking too comfortable, either. Lucius Malfoy, for all his bravado, was clutching nervously at his cloak; Crabbe and Goyle were looking green; James Potter was talking quietly to Remus Lupin as if he wanted to reassure him, but Remus looked very unsecure without his books. Among the group, Sirius noted a pretty red-haired girl with emerald-coloured eyes who was biting her lower lip, and a small brown-haired boy who was shaking so hard it seemed he was ready to flee from Hogwarts any minute. A boy with greasy dark hair was looking down at every First Year kid, and the young Black felt immediate antipathy towards him.

Sirius already knew, by his parents' conversations, that each house had a main characteristic that followed the four founders of Hogwarts' personalities: Godric Gryffindor's courage, Rowena Ravenclaw's intelligence, Helga Hufflepuff's patience and Salazar Slytherin's ruse. Consequently, the students were sent to the house that matched their personalities the most, but for Sirius' parents the only place that mattered was Slytherin. It was there, after all, where their lord and master You-know-who had done all his studies!

Professor McGonagall came back and lead the children through the Great Hall. Sirius was pretty impressed by the wideness of the room, which contained a huge stone chimney with a roaring fire burning in the grate, and four long tables where the older students were already seated, ready to eat. The young Black noted that whereas the Hogwarts' uniform was mostly gray, colours differences were apparent in the ties and the sweaters' edgings: red and gold for Gryffindor, deep and light blue for Ravenclaw, black and yellow for Hufflepuff, green and silver for Slytherin. Those last colours made Sirius' stomach churn, and desperation washed over him again at the idea that he was already sentenced to wear green and silver, like all his ancestors did.

The other students were openly staring at the shy First Years, and Sirius couldn't help but think it was downright impolite from the older students to make nervous newcomers feel even more uncomfortable. This walking through tables full of curious boys and girls looked like a gauntlet! Finally, the children grouped in front of the teachers' table. One of them was a living portrait of Merlin, with his half-moon glasses perched on a crooked nose and his long white beard displayed on embroidered golden robes. There was also a stool standing nearby the table, with a battered and torn wizard's hat perched on it.

Sirius was imagining his mother's reaction at the idea to wear such an ugly-looking thing on her head, when the hat started singing in a merry voice, using one of his many rips as a mouth:

"_Don't judge a book by its cover,_

"_I'm smarter than I look,_

_And even if I should be cleaner,_

_Again: don't judge the book!_

_No one but me is best qualified,_

_To read what's inside your head,_

_No inner secrets can hide,_

_Not even those you dread!_

_You will be sorted accordingly,_

_From your strengths, your struggles,_

_In short, from your personality,_

_Which can be a major puzzle!_

_But may you be bold or shy,_

_Courageous, intelligent, cunning or loyal,_

_I'll sort you in the right house – why?_

_Because I'__m the Sorting Hat, and that's final!"_

The kids had barely the time to recover from their surprise after hearing that strange song that the Merlin-lookalike teacher said in a grandfatherly voice:

"My dear children, welcome. I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts. I hope you've had a pleasant trip and you'll enjoy your studying within our school's walls. You are going to be sorted to your future house. For this ceremony, Professor McGonagall will call out your name, and then you'll sit on this stool and she will put the Sorting Hat on your head: it will decide in which house you will be sent to. Please process, Minerva."

McGonagall got a roll of parchment out of her robes' pockets and called out the first name of the list:

"Addison, Elvira!"

A girl with dark braids stepped forward, looking ready to cry. She climbed on the stool and kept her eyes on the ground as the green-robed witch put the Sorting Hat on her head. Some mumbling could be heard for a minute and then the hat said in a loud voice:

"_**RAVENCLAW!"**_

Elvira Addison jumped out of the stool and gave back the hat to McGonagall before rushing to the Ravenclaw table, where she was warmly greeted by her fellow classmates. The joy on the girl's face was heart-warming, as if a great load had been taken off her mind, and the First Years couldn't help but envy her to have been called on first.

"Alexander, Julius!"

The boy was sorted to Gryffindor, and then it was the turn of "Applegate, Jonathan" (Hufflepuff); "Armstrong, David" (Slytherin); "Atkins, Robert" (Ravenclaw); "Baker, Joseph" (Ravenclaw again); "Beranger, Simon" (Slytherin); "Binns, Agatha" (Gryffindor); and then…

"Black, Sirius!" called Professor McGonagall.

Sirius' heart was beating wildly inside his chest as he approached the stool. He was aware the words _"Pureblood"_, _"family"_ and _"fanatics"_ were whispered among the crowd of seated students and Professor McGonagall had to cough loudly to make them be quiet again. She waited until Sirius was comfortably seated before putting the Sorting Hat on his head. The young boy couldn't see anything since the hat was way too large for him – the brim was falling on his nose – but that was unimportant because a small voice was whispering at his ears. Sirius realized with a start that the Sorting Hat was actually speaking to him: that was where the mumbling was coming from!

"_Oh, __a new Black!" _said the headgear,_ "It's been a while since one of your family has come to Hogwarts. Now, let's see… How intriguing! You have much talent… You believe in your heart… Hum, impulsiveness, recklessness, loyalty… A thirst for true friendships… But, above everything else, a lot of courage. I must say, I'm surprised! That's not the kind of things I usually read in the mind of a person issued from the Black family. So, where should I put you?"_

Sirius muttered between his gritted teeth: "Don't put me in Slytherin… Please, don't put me in Slytherin!"

"_Not in Slytherin?" _whispered the Sorting Hat, sounding astonished._ "But everyone in your family went there! Don't you want to respect tradition and follow their footsteps?"_

"No, no!" said Sirius in desperation. "Please, don't put me in Slytherin! Anywhere else… Even Hufflepuff, I don't care! Just don't send me to Slytherin. I don't want to go there! Please!"

"_But being a Slytherin student would make your life so much easier!" _insisted the hat._ "Are you sure you don't want to go there?"_

"Yes, I'm sure!"

"_Very well, you sound confident, so I know exactly in which house to put you…"_

And then, the Sorting Hat roared loud enough for everyone to know: _**"GRYFFINDOR!"**_

"**YAHOOOOO!"** shouted Sirius out of joy, extending his arms in a V of victory. He climbed down the stool, threw the Sorting Hat in the air like he had graduated from Hogwarts already, and did a somersault just before sitting down at the Gryffindor table.

Sirius' heart was singing in joy, and his face got even handsomer with the beautiful smile gracing his lips: he was a Gryffindor, a Gryffindor! The hat hadn't taken in account his family's background but his personal qualities; and yet, Sirius hadn't dared to imagine he would be sent to the house known for having the most courageous kids of Hogwarts! He was so happy that it took him a long time to notice that all the other students were staring at him. But, above everything else, the expressions on James Potter, Remus Lupin and Lucius Malfoy's faces were absolutely priceless: their eyes had grown wide, as if they had been told Black was the secret son of You-know-who!

But Sirius was too happy and prideful to take offence at being the centre of attention: quite the contrary, he looked back at everybody with a renewed confidence making his gray eyes shine like twin stars. A First Year girl whispered to her red-haired friend: _"He's cute! Don't you think, Lily?"_ and the two girls giggled quietly.

The teachers were also looking incredulously at the exceptional young Black boy who had been sorted to the lion's house instead of the snake's: that was something that hadn't happened since the foundation of Hogwarts! Dumbledore seemed completely stunned; McGonagall was so surprised she had forgotten to pick up the Sorting Hat from the floor; one small-sized teacher had dropped his spoon on the table, maculating the cloth; a woman wearing an awful hat which looked like a permanently-growing miniature vegetable garden had her mouth wide open; a man with a fat belly and gray hair looked at the young rebel in disgust; only one teacher, with flaming-red hair and laughing eyes, was hiding a big smile behind his hand.

After a long while, Professor McGonagall got out of her stupor after a loud cough was heard from Professor Dumbledore. She retrieved the hat and resumed the Sorting Ceremony by calling out:

"Brown, Samuel!"

The rest of the First Years were divided up in the houses; while Sirius was still under the shock of joy for being chosen in Gryffindor, he managed to keep his attention focused on the group of children. The pretty red-haired girl ("Evans, Lily") was sorted in Gryffindor, as well as her friend ("McDonald, Mary"); "Crabbe, Victor", "Goyle, George" and "Malfoy, Lucius" all ended in Slytherin, no surprises here. The nervous-looking, brown-haired small boy ("Pettigrew, Peter") had the Sorting Hat on his head for the record time of ten minutes, as if it was impossible to find a proper house for him, and finally the hat announced "Gryffindor" without sounding very convinced; "Lupin, Remus" was sent to Gryffindor as soon as the hat touched his head, and the same thing happened with "Potter, James". The greasy-haired kid ("Snape, Severus") snarled in disgust when the hat announced "Slytherin" for him. Finally, the Sorting Ceremony ended when "Wright, Raymond" was sorted in Hufflepuff, and Dumbledore clapped his hands:

"Let the feast begin!"

All of a sudden, thousands of plates loaded with food appeared on the tables. A collective **"Ooooh!"** of surprise rang across the Great Hall, quickly replaced by munching and crunching sounds. Sirius could barely believe his own eyes at the sight of the amount of food: chicken, vegetables, various soups, scrambled eggs and loaves of bread, cold meat with pickles, apples, fruitcakes and flagons of pumpkin juice. The young Black was ravenous after all his worry about the Sorting Ceremony, so he started eating in the earnest. Remus Lupin almost devoured a chicken all by himself, much to James Potter's amusement, while Lily Evans was telling her friend Mary McDonald to be more cautious while eyeing the young Black!

After a few moments, a student of about sixteen years of age, seated just next to Sirius, turned his head towards the boy and asked in an amiable voice:

"So, you're a Gryffindor Black, eh?"

"It seems so," answered Sirius, swallowing quickly his chicken.

"Well, you've made quite an impression earlier! Everyone knows the Black family members have been prime supporters of He-who-must-not-be-named and Slytherin students for centuries; you're an exception, young man, and no doubts your sorting will be mentioned in huge letters in the book of Hogwarts' history!"

"Well, I'm not a Pureblood fanatic," said Sirius. "I'm a Gryffindor through and through, and I'll prove it to everyone in this school, if needed!"

The older student laughed while hearing this declaration: "You don't have to prove anything to anyone, Sirius! The Sorting Hat put you in the right house and no one can contest its decisions. I'm Albert Morris, by the way: five-year student and Prefect of Gryffindor."

"Prefect?" asked Sirius while shaking Albert's hand. "What does that mean?"

"It's a student who is chosen to maintain discipline. I get to patrol in the corridors in the evenings, break fights when they occur – that's very rare – accompany the First Years around the school until they know enough of the grounds… We're like assistants of the teachers. If you get good grades and don't put yourself in trouble, you might become a Prefect on your fifth year!"

Sirius wasn't sure those supervisor's tasks would fit with his natural-born tendency to rebel, but he didn't pressed the matter. Albert seemed a nice guy and he didn't want to spoil his chances to make friends with his Gryffindor mates – he had learned his lesson with Potter and Lupin! Instead, he looked at the teachers' table and saw Professor McGonagall talking with animation to Professor Dumbledore.

"Albert, who are those teachers?"

"Well, you already know Professor McGonagall: she's a Transfiguration teacher and Head of Gryffindor House. The pocket-sized one is Professor Flitwick: he teaches Charms and Ravenclaw is his house. The woman with the gardener's hat is Professor Demeter who's in charge of Hufflepuff, she teaches Herbology. The fat one is Professor Nitric, Potions Master and head of Slytherin. The red-haired man is the new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher – DADA for short – his name is Barisan Scott."

"The former one retired?" asked Sirius ingeniously.

"Ah, no, it's because that position is jinxed. DADA teachers rarely stay after one year in Hogwarts, because each time something happens and the professors quit, get sacked or even disappear without leaving a trace. DADA is dealing with dangerous matters and, sometimes, the teachers get too close to the subject, you see?"

"You mean they get injured?"

"No, mate, I mean they went to the Dark Side and became followers of You-know-who. That is what happened last year with Professor Rodent: he looked perfectly normal and inoffensive at the beginning of the school year, and then he turned strange after Christmas vacation: he made some sarcastic remarks about Muggle-born students, failed those who openly called You-know-who a git…"

"He **is** a git," grumbled Sirius.

"… And then he started to openly criticize Dumbledore and the ways he ruled the school. The worst happened last April, when he tried to kill Dumbledore with one of the Unforgivable curses, the _Akava Kedavra_. The Aurors arrested Professor Rodent and he got a life sentence in Azkaban.

The young Black shivered slightly at the mention of the wizards' prison. Its guardians were the horrible Dementors, ghostly-looking creatures who could suck the souls out of condemned wizards and witches, a procedure named "The Kiss", leaving them in a vegetative state for the rest of their days.

"During his trial, Professor Rodent praised He-who-must-not-be-named! He called him a genius, the saviour of the wizardly world, and that soon his master would reward him. Mad as a hatter, he was, but I guess that's what happens when you look too deeply inside the darkness. But it sure put a strain here in Hogwarts, because some of the Slytherin students are loyal followers of You-know-who and they openly say that Professor Rodent is a hero to their cause!" concluded Albert.

Sirius looked across the Great Hall and at the Slytherin table: as on cue, Lucius Malfoy raised his head and his malevolent eyes fixed themselves on the young Black. Then Malfoy silently mouthed two words: _"Blood traitor"_. Sirius' eyes flashed in anger and he silently showed his fist to Malfoy, who smirked insolently but returned his attention to his plate.

The Black heir didn't notice that this silent exchange had been witnessed by James Potter and Remus Lupin.

TBC…


	3. The Howler

**Disclaimer:** same as chapter 1.

**Author's notes:**

- This chapter is dedicated to maddiegirl!

* * *

**Chapter ****3: the Howler**

After dinner, the Prefects were asked by Headmaster Dumbledore to lead the First Years to their respective dormitories. At first, Sirius thought it was kind of early to go to bed, but his full stomach was indeed making him sleepy. A quick glance at his co-disciples confirmed that he wasn't the only one feeling tired: no wonder, after all the recent excitement about going to a magic school, the anxiousness about being sorted in which house and the excellent food served in abundance! The children definitively needed a good night's sleep, especially since classes were starting as early as the day following their arrival.

Albert Morris and another prefect – a girl named Natasha Sampson – ordered the Gryffindor's First Years to form a line; Albert took the lead, and they exited the Great Hall. Sirius was once more impressed by the hugeness and the complexity of Hogwarts, where the labyrinth of corridors seemed overstuffed with paintings, tapestries and rugs; statues and armours stood to attention on their pedestals but, after Sirius looked twice at them, they seemed to move by themselves! The young Black was used to enchanted objects – they were numerous at his parents' manor, but it had always been items labelled "Pureblood-worthy" so the boy had developed a lifelong antipathy towards them. Here in Hogwarts, the magical objects seemed much more interesting: the people painted on canvases actually saluted the children as they passed by, the rugs changed colours under their feet and in one corridor, an armour started dancing a Scottish jig in their honour!

What was the most amazing sight were the moving staircases. Albert and Natasha had told them to step on the first flight of stairs. Once the children were all gathered, the staircase detached itself from the wall, changed direction and headed for the upper floor. The small, brown-haired boy named Peter Pettigrew squeaked in panic and held on for dear life at the handrail, thus earning some nervous laughter from his classmates.

"Do not worry!" said Albert to Peter, trying to reassure him. "You risk absolutely nothing. In case of you loose your footing, the staircases are enchanted to catch you before you fall to your death."

But Pettigrew didn't seem to be comforted at all: on the contrary, his grip tightened until his knuckles whitened and he started to cry. Only when the staircases stopped to the third level did he accepted – after much coaxing from Natasha – to relinquish his hold on the handrail to follow the line of kids.

Finally, they reached the end of a corridor where a huge portrait of a large lady was hanged on the wall. She was wearing a pink silken dress and flowers were adorning her black curls.

"Password?" asked the portrait with an elegant movement of her hand, holding an embroidered shawl.

"_Salamander_", answered Albert, and the portrait moved to reveal a round-shaped entrance. The new students entered to find themselves in a huge room stuffed with comfy couches, tapestries on the walls with patterns imitating the Lady and the Unicorn medieval woven artwork, thick rugs and cushioned armchairs, all this bearing the gold and red colours of the Gryffindor house. A roaring fire in the chimney, which stone mantle was bearing the sculpted emblem of Hogwarts, gave a welcoming feeling to the children.

"All right, listen up," said Albert. "This is the Gryffindor common room. The only access is through the doorway we have just passed, and its entrance is guarded by the portrait of the Fat Lady. To open the door, just say the password _"Salamander"_ to the lady but do not, under any circumstances, reveal this password to a person who doesn't belong to your house. In this room, you will be able to read, talk and relax, just try to avoid being too noisy."

"Where's the telly?" asked Pettigrew.

Albert and Natasha exchanged an amused glance.

"There is no electricity in Hogwarts, because magic spells create disturbances in the electrical current; consequently no televisions, radios, record players or audio tapes can be used here."

"No telly?" exclaimed Pettigrew. "Oh, I can't believe it!"

"Believe me, you'll have better things to do all year along than wasting your time in front of a screen! Now, up those stairs are the dormitories: left side are the girls', right are the boys. You'll find your luggage stored next to your beds. Since you've had a long day and school starts tomorrow, you'd better get some sleep. Wake-up call is at 7:00 a.m., breakfast is served at seven-thirty; classes start at nine, and punctuality is advised if you don't want your house to loose points."

The dormitories were divided into small rooms bearing five curtained beds each, with a long corridor in the middle heading towards a huge bathroom. A piece of parchment was pinned on every room's door, with the names of its occupants penned on it. Sirius quickly found out he had been assigned to the third dormitory on the right side of the corridor; he entered to find his trunk placed just beside a crimson-curtained bed, and his school uniform bearing the Gryffindor colours displayed on a nearby chair. A leather school bag was standing at the bottom of the trunk, stuffed with brand-new notebooks, pencils and quills (all bearing the Hogwarts shield). There was also a timetable tucked inside the bag and the young Black read it voraciously: Transfiguration, Herbology, Flying, Potions, History of magic, DADA, Charms… some classes were shared with students from other houses and Sirius made a face after finding out that Flying and Potions were to be attended with the Slytherins tagging along. Fortunately, the next day's course would be DADA in the morning and Herbology – with the Ravenclaws – in the afternoon: at least, his first day of class won't be with Lucius Malfoy and his minions!

Voices were suddenly heard behind Sirius' back and he turned around just in time to see James Potter and Remus Lupin entering his room!

"Black? What are you doing here?" asked Potter in a less-than-amiable tone.

Sirius let out a soft growl and jumped on his feet: he was getting sick and tired of the bespectacled boy's attitude towards him!

"This is **my** house, consequently this is **my** dormitory and **my** trunk has been placed next to **this** bed. You have a problem with this?" said the young Black heir, his features hardening in prevision of an upcoming fight.

"Oh yeah? Well, this is also **my** house, **my** dormitory and this is **my** trunk standing here; there is also Remy's trunk, meaning we are to sleep in this room, whether you like it or not!" snapped James back.

Sirius looked around and he remarked that two of the other trunks settled in the room were bearing the initials "JP" and "RL", engraved in gold letters on the leather. A third one was labelled "S.W.B.", with a spotted black-and-white cat locked in a pet carrier standing on the top of the trunk; and the fourth was sporting the letters "PP", making Sirius groan inwardly since "PP" could only mean…

"Er… Hello, guys! I'm P-P-Peter Pet-Pettigrew and I'm s'posed to sleep here…"

A fifth boy entered the room, looking relieved at the sight of his luggage displayed in the room.

"Oh, there it is! Hello, I'm Samuel Whittaker Brown and this is my cat, Domino."

Sirius sighed in relief: at least, a decent bloke to share his dormitory with! He opened his trunk and started looking for his sleepwear, his slippers and his toothbrush, deliberately turning his back on Potter and Lupin. James snorted in disdain and started talking to his friend Remus about their school schedule, while Brown and Pettigrew exchanged opinions about the quality of the dinner they've just had. Just before going to sleep, the boys personalised their quarters and when the lights were turned off, there was a Chudley Cannons Quiddich Team poster taped on the wall close to James' bed, a calendar hanging next to Remus', photos of racing cars pinned near Samuel's and a large map of stars and constellations deployed above Sirius'. Only Peter Pettigrew didn't follow the decorative movement, contenting himself with stacking a lump of dog-eared comic magazines on his bedside table.

* * *

Sirius' first night at Hogwarts had been restful. He had deliciously dreamed about being a splendid Quiddich player, winning matches after matches before participating to the World Cup; in the end, he had been crowned Player of the Century and his teammates were carrying him in triumph on their shoulders, under a shower of confetti while fireworks erupted in an explosion of colours, drawing the letters "S I R I U S" in the sky. The crowd was cheering the young Black and he was so happy to have won the World Cup and… and…

And then his dream had been cut by the persistent ringing of a magically-activated bell! Groaning, Sirius had buried his face into his pillow, desperately trying to return to his imagination but Samuel Brown had opened his bed's curtains to shake his shoulder, saying:

"Black, wake up or you'll be late for breakfast and class! C'mon!"

In the end, Sirius had relented to quit the comfort of his warm bed to rush to the bathroom where he had taken a quick shower, brushed his teeth and washed his face. Then he had returned to his dormitory to don his student's uniform, vaguely disciplined his dark hair with three rapid strokes of his comb, grabbed his school bag and went to the Great Hall for a rousing breakfast. Plates were already served with bacon and eggs, toasts, marmalade, sausages and there were also mugs full of tea, coffee and milk. Sirius seated at the Gryffindor table and started eating voraciously: he'll need his strength for his first day of school!

Soon, the Hogwarts teachers were seated at their table, and the students were all gathered in the Great Hall, happily munching their breakfasts. Sirius noted that James and Remus were seated a few chairs besides his own: these twos seemed already inseparable! The pretty red-haired girl had settled down in front of him, while her friend had seated next to him. She drank a glassful of milk, dried her lips with a folded napkin and then smiled before introducing herself:

"Hello, Sirius! I am Mary McDonald and this is my friend, Lily Evans."

"Er… Hello, Mary and Lily! I'm S-Sirius B-B-Black," stuttered the young boy, not realizing in his confusion that she already knew his name.

Mary giggled quietly and Lily did the same, but it was a nice laugh.

"Yes, I am quite aware of that!" said Mary while shaking her auburn tresses. "You've made a big impression on everyone yesterday evening, after you've been placed in Gryffindor."

"Oh! Er… Did I? I mean, I was so happy to not be sorted in Slytherin that… Well, it kind of blinded me about what people would think about it," answered Sirius, desperately hoping he wasn't making a fool out of himself in front of the girls. He remembered Mary had found him _"cute"_ during the Sorting Ceremony and, truth to be told, he was starting to like her too. Mary wasn't as pretty as her red-haired friend but she had a pleasant face and kind brown eyes, which were making her far more agreeable than the Pureblood fanatics-issued girls Sirius had been forced to meet, under the severe control of his parents.

"Well, for what I could see, you have a lot of enthusiasm and you can do great somersaults! I wish I could do the same, but I've never learned gymnastics."

Sirius knew his voice was trembling and his stomach was having a roller-coaster ride inside his chest, but he couldn't help but say: "If… er… If you're interested… er… I could teach you… er… to do summer salts… I meant, somersaults… er…. It's not difficult; really, it isn't, and… er… well, if you'd like me to…"

"You would? Oh, thank you, Sirius! You're nice!" said Mary, and Sirius blushed several shades of red. He tried to hide his embarrassment by gulping down a cup of tea, and then he asked:

"You have heard about Hogwarts before receiving your letter?"

"Oh yes, I did. You see, I'm what you could call a half-blood – my Dad's a wizard, my Mum's an accountant – and my sister Margaret has done all her studies here. She's seven years my senior, so she graduated last year, but Maggie has told me everything about the castle, the houses and the rivalry between them, especially with that "Pureblood against the whole world" business," added Mary with a hint of bitterness.

Sirius was suddenly feeling a bit uneasy: even if he had been sorted in Gryffindor, he couldn't erase the well-known fact that his close family members were prime supporters of You-know-who, so he quickly replied:

"Well, not all Pureblood wizards and witches are idiots, you know. You may find it hard to believe, but it's the truth."

"Oh, I am convinced of that, especially after the Sorting Hat placed you in Gryffindor!" said Mary with a small smile that made Sirius' heart twist in a strange way. "There are good and bad people everywhere, including amongst the Hogwarts houses, the Pureblood, the half-blooded and the Muggles."

"Don't I know it!" suddenly said her red-haired friend, lifting her eyes from her plate of bacon and eggs. A crash was suddenly heard and all the students looked at a pale Peter Pettigrew, who was shaking after he had dropped his glass on the tiled floor, spilling milk everywhere. After the commotion was over, Mary asked:

"What do you mean, Lily?"

"No one in my family belongs to the magic world; I am the only one who had ever received a Hogwarts letter. Well, I knew I could do some "strange" things, and a neighbourhood friend of mine kept telling me I had magic powers, but I didn't fully believe it until the owl entered in our living-room. I had the shock of my life after receiving the acceptance letter, but my parents were so proud! Unfortunately, it has increased my sister Petunia jealousies towards me. She had always resented me, ever since we were little girls, and my "strangeness" was nothing more than "clumsiness" to her eyes. But after she learned I was a witch, she hit the roof! She made my life a living Hell all summer, called me a freak in front of everyone, and once she tried to burn my brand-new trunk, along with the school supplies, in my bedroom. My parents had to punish her severely to make her stop her taunts."

"How despicable!" said Sirius, remembering his own fights with his brother Regulus. "I would have changed your sister Petunia into a slimy slug!"

Lily smiled at Sirius' loyalty, and her pretty features relaxed.

"Don't bother, Sirius, I got her good! Days before leaving for Hogwarts, I've accidentally discovered that my dear sister had written to Headmaster Dumbledore, begging him to accept her too. He replied very kindly that it was impossible, due to her complete absence of magic powers. But in King Cross' station, and right in front of our parents, I told Petunia I knew about her correspondence with Dumbledore; it was kind of funny from a girl who praised herself to be absolutely normal, to go through a lot of trouble for a chance to study in a "school for monsters"! Petunia called me a freak once again, but this time it didn't hurt."

"Well done!" exclaimed Sirius while raising his newly-refilled cup of tea. "Here's to you, Lily Evans!"

The young boy and the two girls clinked their mugs altogether, and then Sirius asked:

"You mentioned a neighbourhood pal who knew about magic. Is he in Hogwarts, too?"

"Oh yes! But he has been sorted in Slytherin. That's too bad; I won't be seeing him as often as I used to do. His name is Severus Snape, he's the boy with the dark hair, sitting over there."

Lily pointed to the Slytherin table and both Sirius and Mary turned around to look at the boy she was talking about. The young Black instantly recognized the greasy-haired kid who had looked down at every First Year kid the previous evening. Severus Snape had pale skin and a mouth twisted in a constant grimace, as if he had a pile of dragon's dung under his long, beaked nose. He was sitting next to Lucius Malfoy, who was loudly praising the privileges of being Pureblood-born, earning much approbation from Crabbe, Goyle and a girl with a hard-featured face.

"This is your pal?" asked Sirius incredulously. "He doesn't look very friendly!"

"Well, he has been very nice to me!" answered Lily hotly.

"Besides, Sirius, you've agreed when I told you earlier that there were nice people everywhere, including in the different houses of Hogwarts. So why not in Slytherin?" argued Mary.

The young Black heir suddenly realized that he was making a prejudiced comment, worthy of his parents' values and right in front of a very nice girl and her red-haired friend!

"You're right! Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. He may be a nice guy and… I of all people should know better than judge people from their backgrounds or their appearances, eh?" said Sirius, and the two girls looked very pleased with his apology.

Suddenly, a succession of shadows fell on the Great Hall. All the students looked up to see the post delivery owls entering through an open upper window to fly across the hall, dropping letters and parcels into the lap of their rightful recipients. A Masked Owl with dark wings delivered a huge package into Malfoy's hands, who instantly announced to his goons that his parents had sent him a box of the finest chocolates. James received a letter, Remus a copy of the _Daily Prophet_, Mary a small parcel from home, making Lily say:

"I'd like to send a letter to my folks, to tell them I have arrived safely at Hogwarts, but I don't know how to use Owl Post!"

"That's not a problem, Lily! Just write your note and then we'll go to the owlery together. Maggie told me where it was located in the castle's grounds, so we can do it after afternoon class," said Mary.

But Sirius barely noticed the girls' conversation. His heart jumped into his throat as he recognized one of the birds flying around the Great Hall: it was Fulbert, his parents' own owl, clutching a letter between his talons! But before the young boy could react, the bird landed on the Gryffindor table right in front of him and hooted at Sirius with a disgusted gleam in his golden eyes. Then Fulbert laid a dropping on the table before flying away, leaving a red envelope on the wooden furniture.

Sirius' face turned white at this sight: his parents had sent him a Howler, a letter written on magic paper which had the ability to yell and scream insults at its recipient.

"Oh, look! Black got a Howler!" said James Potter in a sing-song voice.

"Be quiet, James!" snapped his friend Remus. "It isn't funny for anyone to receive one of those!"

All the Gryffindor students had stopped eating to eye the red envelope lying on the table, just in front of Sirius. He got tempted to leave the Great Hall to open his missive in the relatively quietness of his dormitory, but he knew that the longer you'd wait to open a Howler, the worst the screaming would be!

Sirius' eyes turned into a stormy-gray colour: he wasn't a coward, and whatever his parents may have written in their letter, it couldn't be worse than the lectures he already had at home. He grabbed the envelope and tore it open. Instantly, the paper folded itself like an origami toy to form a mouth, and the screaming-mad voice of Walburga Black resounded all over the Great Hall:

"**SIRIUS ORION BLACK!**** YOU HAVE BROUGHT ETERNAL SHAME UPON OUR FAMILY! YOU HAVE BEEN SORTED IN GRYFFINDOR?! FOR OVER A THOUSAND YEARS, ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE MOST ANCIENT AND NOBLE HOUSE OF BLACK HAVE BEEN CHOSEN TO BE SLYTHERINS, AND YOU HAVE DELIBERATELY BROKEN OUR TRADITION? YOU'RE AN ABOMINATION! A DISGRACE! HOW CAN YOU CALL YOURSELF MY SON? YOU'VE DRAGGED OUR PROUD NAME IN THE MUD OF THAT FLEA-INFESTED GRYFFINDOR HOUSE!"**

A deadly silence had fallen upon the Great Hall: all the students and the teachers were looking at the young Black with rounded eyes and the Muggle-born First Years were learning the hard way what a Howler was! The ranting of Walburga Black went on and on:

"**AND YOU ALSO DEFENDED A HALF-BLOOD WEAKLING IN THE HOGWARTS EXPRESS, ACCORDING TO THE LETTER SENT BY OUR FRIEND MALFOY AFTER HIS NICE SON LUCIUS HAD TOLD HIM ABOUT YOUR FIENDISH ACTIONS? ISN'T IT ENOUGH THAT YOU'VE DISGRACED OUR FAMILY NAME, BUT YOU ALSO WANT TO PROTECT MUGGLES AND HALF-BLOODED RUNTS WHO SHOULD BE DROWNED AT BIRTH? OH, MY ANCESTORS! HOW SUCH DISHONOR COULD HAPPEN TO ME! I SHOULD HAVE STRANGLED YOU WITH YOUR UMBILICAL CORD, YOU NO-GOOD, MISERABLE, UNGRATEFUL BOY! YOUR BROTHER REGULUS IS A TRUE BLACK, MY REAL CHILD; NOT YOU, YOU DISGUSTING EXCREMENT! JUST WAIT UNTIL YOU COME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS, YOUR FATHER WILL GIVE YOU THE WHIPPING OF YOUR LIFE!"**

Sirius' face turned purple in rage after hearing that Lucius Malfoy had denounced him to his parents. Oh, that miserable little traitor! Well, he wasn't going to stand here and get insulted by a charmed letter! He reached out and grabbed the Howler, crunching the parchment between his fingers and his mother's voice got completely distorted:

"**DON'T YOU……….. MMMBLBLBLB…….. DAAARE….. INTERRRRRUPTING ME, YOU LITTLE SSSSSSSSSSWINNNE…….. CRRRRICHHHHH……. I'M NOT THHHHHROUGH….. TA****AALKING….."**

But Sirius was through listening. He tore the Howler into a hundred pieces so quickly it didn't have a chance to "reconstruct" itself (he knew by experience that this kind of letters had the power to do so, since his parents had received a few of those about their open support to He-who-must-not-be-named) and then dunk the pieces into a glass of warm milk belonging to a boy sitting next to him – who was too surprised to utter a protestation. Using a spoon, Sirius mixed violently the remains of the Howler within the milk, improvising a soggy ball of _papier-mâché_ while Walburga Black kept on trying to talk:

"**YOU…. GGGLLLLBBBB…. DISHO****OOOONORED…… LLLLLLLB…. FAMILY……. 'CESTORS……. NAME………"**

Then Sirius took the soaking ball of paper out of the glass and threw it in the direction of the Great Hall's enchanted ceiling. It wasn't a high throw, since the projectile was heavily loaded with milk, but it gave the young Black enough time to grab his wand from inside his cloak and point it at the dripping ball while yelling:

"_Incendio!"_

A burst of sparks and flames came out from his wand and engulfed Walburga's letter, evaporating the milk and the parchment in a spontaneous combustion. The Howler was reduced into charred ashes gently falling on the Great Hall's floor. The _Incendio_ spell was taught during the First Year of a wizard or a witch's studies, but Sirius hadn't waited until he'd started Hogwarts to consult his school books; and he had discreetly learned a few spells all by himself, while taking great care that no one would notice his illegal practice of magic. Young wizards-in-training weren't supposed to use spells outside their schools, to avoid accidents or detection by Muggles.

But his summer reading had paid off: the _Incendio_ spell had worked to the perfection in destroying Walburga Black's Howler! Sirius sighed, tucked his wand back into his cloak's pocket and looked around: all the students were looking at him with their mouths agape, including the Slytherins and while a part of him didn't mind that Malfoy and his buddies had witnessed a display of his magical talents, the young Black was also annoyed for being the centre of attention for the second time in less than two days. He had triumphed over his mother's letter, but what would be the costs of his rebellion? He moved to sit back to his chair when the Potions Master, Professor Nitric, stood up and asked in an icy voice:

"What exactly did you intent to do, Black? You wanted to burn down the whole castle?"

Sirius stood up, his legs slightly shaking but his handsome face revealing nothing of his inner torment, which was quite good for an eleven-year-old boy. He answered loudly enough for everyone to hear:

"No Sir, I simply got rid of a piece of junk mail."

A roar of laughter erupted within the Great Hall when all the Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students guffawed at Sirius' words. The young rebel looked at his table and much to his relief, he could see that Mary and Lily were smiling at him. Remus Lupin winked in his direction, Albert Morris and Natasha Sampson were obviously having a hard time to keep a straight face while James Potter looked as stunned as if he had been invited to play in the Chudley Cannons Team for the Quiddich World Cup! Only Peter Pettigrew was darting nervous glances at Professor Nitric and Sirius, back and forth, and he seemed ready to flee the scene.

"Very funny, Black," growled Professor Nitric. "Do you think so highly of yourself that you think Hogwarts' rules don't apply to you? In case you've forgotten, magic isn't allowed outside the classrooms, and that includes the dormitories, the corridors and the Great Hall. You should be expelled at once!"

"Now, now, Iago!" interfered Albus Dumbledore. "No harm has been done, and young Black seemed to have controlled perfectly the _Incendio_ spell. He should receive a punishment for using magic outside the classrooms, but that will be enough. Mister Black, I want you to write a hundred times _"I must not use spells inside the Great Hall"_. You'll hand out your lines to the Head of your house, Professor McGonagall, by tomorrow morning. Is that clear?"

Sirius swallowed the enormous lump of fear that had lodged itself in his throat when Professor Nitric had talked about expelling him from Hogwarts, before answering:

"Yes, Sir."

"That's not enough, Professor Dumbledore!" protested Nitric. "This Gryffindor student has deliberately broken the school rules in public! That kind of arrogant behaviour is intolerable, and he can't get away with only a light punishment. I am taking twenty points from his house!"

"What?" exclaimed Professor McGonagall, "You can't be serious?"

"I am, and it's done!" said Iago Nitric with a satisfied smirk on his face after hearing the snickers coming from the Slytherin table. He knew that Professor McGonagall was pretty uptight about discipline, consequently she couldn't approve of Sirius' actions, even if she was pretty crossed at Nitric for taking points from Gryffindor.

The young Black's face paled after hearing those words: the first day of school, and he had already made his house loose twenty points! How his fellow classmates would ever forgive him for this?

But suddenly, Mary McDonald pointed to something lying on the floor while crying out loud: _"Oh my gosh! SIRIUS! LOOK AT THIS!"_

Sirius turned around and saw what was causing Mary's distress: the letter's remains were gathering at a crazy speed on the tiled floor, reconstituting the letter again. In a blink of an eye, the Howler rose from its ashes like a malevolent phoenix to fly directly at Sirius' face; the young boy was too terrified by this sudden turn of events to dare using his _Incendio_ spell again and Walburga Black's voice screamed, louder than a lighthouse's foghorn:

"**YOU'VE TRIED TO DESTROY MY LETTER?! YOU WANTED TO AVOID A RIGHTFUL RETRIBUTION FOR YOUR TRAITORIOUS ACTIONS? OH YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS, YOU DIRTY LITTLE WORM, JUST WAIT UNTIL I GET MY HANDS ON YOU…."**

"_Annihilatio totallicus!"_

A flash of light hit the resurrected Howler, making Sirius stumble and fall on his back on the floor. A thunderous cracking sound resounded across the Great Hall like a pistol's shot, making all the students jump in fright. Momentarily blinded and deafened by the light and the noise, Sirius laid unmoving on the tiles, completely disoriented. For a brief moment, he thought a bomb had exploded in the hall and that Voldemort's lackeys were attacking Hogwarts. He tried to grab his wand to protect Mary but his numb fingers wouldn't obey him. After a moment, he slowly regained his senses and he opened his eyes to see the concerned face of Professor Scott, the DADA teacher with the flaming-red hair, hovering over him.

"Black, are you all right, laddie? I am sorry to have casted this spell so close to you, but that Howler wouldn't move from your face!"

Sirius' dizziness passed and he realized Professor Scott was cradling him in his arms, keeping his upper body away from the cold floor. Some Gryffindor students had also gathered around, amongst them Mary McDonald (who was looking at him with the words _"My hero"_ written with bright letters deep in her eyes), Lily Evans, James Potter, Remus Lupin, Albert Morris and Samuel Brown. Pettigrew was nowhere in sight; he had ran off the Great Hall, scared by the explosion. In the background, Sirius noted that Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall were also staring at him.

"W-What happened?" asked the young Black. "The Howler?"

"It is destroyed, laddie, and definitively this time," answered Professor Scott with a smile. "The _Annihilatio totallicus_ did the trick. You've showed great initiative with your _Incendio_, but I'm afraid it isn't enough to turn this kind of letter into a permanent pile of ashes. You'll learn this spell on your seventh year, worry not!"

Sirius opened his mouth to thank the teacher, but a fit of coughing prevented him to do so.

"How do you feel, laddie? Do you hurt anywhere?"

"Professor, I think we should take him to see Madam Pomfresh, the school nurse," said Albert. "He took a nasty shock…"

"No, no!" said Sirius. "I-I'm fine, I really am! Please, don't take me to the infirmary… (cough!) I just need a minute… I don't want to miss class… please!"

Professor Scott seemed doubtful about the young boy's statement, but after a few minutes the colours were back on Sirius' face and the coughing had stopped. The DADA teacher helped him to get back on his feet and, indeed, Sirius was feeling a bit shaky, but all right. Mary handed him his school bag but, more surprisingly, Remus Lupin offered him some chocolate, which he gladly accepted!

"Well, young Black, you are resilient for sure!" said Professor Scott. "You are truly worthy of the legendary Gryffindor courage. Now, let's see… Twenty points for casting a perfect _Incendio_ spell before learning it in class, ten points for the idea of silencing a Howler by dunking it in some milk, ten points for showing a great amount of courage under fire, that makes a total of forty points for Gryffindor!"

Sirius Black almost dropped on the floor the Chocolate Frog Remus had showed into his hand, out of surprise. Professor Scott was giving him forty points for the incident with his mother's Howler?

A strangled cry of protest resounded in the background: it was Professor Nitric, his face as yellow as a lemon fruit:

"You can't be serious! You are awarding points to this student? I should complain to the Ministry of Magic…"

"Oh, go play with your chemistry set, Iago!" snapped Barisan Scott with such a take-no-rubbish attitude that the Potions Master wisely shut his mouth, darting venomous glares at his colleague while Professor McGonagall accorded to the red-haired teacher one of her extremely rare smiles.

The Gryffindor students cheered at the news, and Sirius found himself shaking hands with a lot of people he hadn't met before. His mother's letter had been quite an experience, but in the end it had ensured his definitive acceptance within the lion's house of Hogwarts and he had met his first friends. Glowing with pride, he even considered writing to Walburga Black to thank her for sending a Howler!

TBC….


	4. The first classes

**Disclaimer:** same as chapter 1.

**Author's notes:** the students' timetable is inspired by J.K. Rowling books, but I cannot vouch for a hundred percent accuracy.

* * *

**Chapter ****4: the first classes**

Sirius' confrontation with his mother's Howler had brought incredible results! He had dealt with the offensive missive like a seasoned wizard, earned forty points for his house in the process and he had been definitively adopted by his fellow Gryffindor students! Most importantly, Mary McDonald seemed interested in him, and that very thought was making Sirius' heart beat a little bit quicker – she was a very nice girl! Sirius had been the first and only member of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black to be sorted in the lion's house of Hogwarts – a legendary feast in the school's millennia-old history – but he had also defied his parents by trying to destroy their letter instead of cowering in fear under their wrath. The young boy was now a local curiosity amongst the Gryffindor students, but he kind of liked the attention as long as everybody acknowledged that the Sorting Hat had indeed placed him in the right house.

Well, to be truthful, not every student was willing to befriend the young Black: there was still one or two who were cautious around him, especially James Potter, but Sirius was too elated by his success to bother notice that reluctant attitude. He had proven to every person in Hogwarts that he truly belonged to the Gryffindor house, and he really didn't mind to write a hundred lines to content that fool of a Professor Nitric!

After that eventful breakfast, Sirius went to the boy's bathroom next to the Great Hall to wash his hands and face, which had been darkened by the snot created by the explosive _Annihilatio Totalicus_ spell of Professor Scott. That impromptu scrubbing did the trick and soon, Sirius was ready for his very first day at Hogwarts. Grabbing his leather schoolbag, he took it out the timetable and read:

MONDAY

9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

**Defence against the dark arts, **Pr. B. Scott, classroom 2-2.WW

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

**Herbology, **Pr. C. Demeter, main greenhouse (class held with Ravenclaw students)

12:00 p.m. – 01:00 p.m.

**Lunch, **Great Hall

01:00 p.m. – 02:15 p.m.

**Charms, **Pr. F. Flitwick, classroom 3-4.EW (class held with Hufflepuff students)

02:30 p.m. – 03:45 p.m.

**Astronomy, **Pr. M. Le Verrier, Astronomy Tower

04:00 p.m. – 04:30 p.m.

**Afternoon ****Tea, **Great Hall

04:30 p.m. – 06:00 p.m.

**Study period, **Houses' common rooms or Hogwarts' library

06:00 p.m.

**D****inner, **Great Hall

07:00 p.m. – 09:00 p.m.

**Free time**

09:00 p.m.

**C****urfew** at the Houses' dormitories

Sirius' stomach clenched after reading this: how was he going to find classroom 2-2.CEW? There wasn't a map of Hogwarts printed on the verso of the timetable and the school was huge! He didn't want to arrive late at his first DADA class and make a bad impression on Professor Scott, who had intervened on his behalf in the Great Hall. He racked his brains for five long minutes and then, he figured it out: "2-2" probably meant classroom 2, second floor, and the "WW" was the abbreviation for the castle's west wing. The moving stairways were probably located in the middle of the castle, allowing the students to have easy access to its northern, southern, western and eastern parts. Sirius made up his mind, tucked the timetable back inside his bag, and headed for the bathroom's door when it swung open, letting in a fair-haired boy with a contemptuous smile on his face.

Of all the rotten luck!_ Lucius Malfoy! _But Sirius' pulse calmed down when he realized that this time, Malfoy was without the company of his dim-witted bodyguards, Crabbe and Goyle.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the black sheep of the Black family!" hissed the blond boy. He had so much venom in his voice he would have made a herpetologist very happy! "How gracious of you to show up, I was just in the mood to eradicate some vermin from Mother Earth's surface. You'll do perfectly!"

"Oh, yeah?" growled Sirius while rolling up his sweater's sleeves after dropping his bag on the tiled floor. "Well, you've got another thing coming, Madfool! Remember the letter you've sent to your folks about me helping Remus in the Hogwarts Express, the one my Mummy dearest mentioned in her Howler? Well, you'll pay for this, you dirty sneak: I'm gonna kick your Pureblood posterior!"

Lucius Malfoy suddenly blanched; probably because he had realized a bit too late that his goons weren't around to protect him! The Pureblood would-be noble had probably dismissed them before entering the bathroom: bad mistake, your Lordship!

"If you touch me, Black, you'll suffer dire consequences!" said the Slytherin student with a quivering voice.

"Not feeling so though, are you, Malfoy?" snarled Sirius. "What's the matter, you miss your lackeys so terribly you're suddenly feeling the need to find them? You're too chicken to fight without help? You're such a coward you're not even able to go to the bathroom on your own!"

"I don't need comments from a flea-ridden Gryffindor! Your own parents will disown you and you'll be thrown in the streets! You shouldn't bother to study, Black: your only future is to beg in the gutter, dressed in rags; or, even better, locked up in Azkaban!" Then, Lucius Malfoy added with a sneer: "Or maybe your mudblood-whelped girlfriend will ask her blood traitor father to adopt you?"

Sirius howled in rage at the insult addressed to Mary McDonald, a girl he happened to like! He roughly grabbed Malfoy by the arm and made him spun around like a spinning top, and then his right foot collided hard with the other boy's lower back.

"That's for your denunciation letter, you dirty sneak!" said Sirius.

Lucius Malfoy yelped in horror and rage, unable to believe that someone would actually dare to hit his noble bottom! But he didn't have the time to react to this outrage because Sirius' foot landed again on the same spot.

"That's for insulting Mary!"

Another yell from Malfoy, but the young Black wasn't finished with him: he kicked another time for good measure (_"And that one is for calling me a blood-traitor!"_) before releasing his opponent, who slammed against one of the sinks while cradling with both hands the suddenly painful part of his anatomy. Black had kicked him with the precision and the force of a football player!

"Now, go ahead and write to your Daddy, you slimy snake! And don't forget to tell him you got your ass kicked by a Gryffindor!" barked Sirius, but Malfoy, red-faced with shame and humiliation, didn't answer.

Sirius was so angry he could hardly see, and in a mad moment he considered pounding his nemesis to the ground until he'd beg for mercy! But for all his combativeness, he also had a chivalrous nature and he wasn't the kind to hit a fallen man. That kind of action would be worthy of a "You-know-who" follower, and Sirius would rather eat dirt than imitate this kind of behaviour. Besides, he had a class to attend, his very first step towards freeing himself from his parents. After a last glance at Malfoy, he grabbed his schoolbag and exited the bathroom, refusing to waste another moment of his time with that future Voldemort boot-licker.

* * *

Sirius had guessed right about the location of the DADA classroom; within minutes he was comfortably seated in a large room cluttered with strange-looking artefacts, with large glass-stained windows and the enormous skeleton of a winged prehistoric animal hanging from the ceiling. The walls were covered with sculpted wood panels; there were eight rows of three students' desks facing a century-old oak table covered with books, and a freshly-cleaned blackboard was standing next to it. Sirius had chosen a seat on the third row while Mary and her friend Lily had opted for the front one. He would have loved to seat next to them, but the only chair available was already occupied by another student!

Sirius took out from his bag a red-covered book, which title was "_Facing the dangers"_ _by Bayard Knight_, a notebook and his quill, pen and ruler to settle them on the desk. He filled up the notebook's standard label by writing on it:

**NAME:...**Sirius Black

**SUBJECT:...**DADA

**YEAR:...**1st

And, under the dotted lines, he added: _"Gryffindor rules!"_

Sirius looked around and he saw James Potter and Remus Lupin seated in the back row, whispering while occasionally glancing at him; Sammy Brown seemed engrossed by the luminous images of the glass-stained windows; two girls were talking about a wild-combed pop star; but Sirius saw no sign of Peter Pettigrew, the mousy-faced boy who slept in his dormitory. Where on Earth could he be? The lesson would start in any moment!

As on cue, the classroom's back door opened and the red-haired teacher entered, throwing his leather briefcase on the oak table with a loud thud, making the books stocked on it jump in the air in a cloud of dust.

"Good morning, class!"

"Good morning, Sir!" answered twenty-one young voices in unison.

"I am Professor Barisan Scott, your Defence against the dark arts teacher, DADA for short. In here, you will learn about defensive spells, magic misuses, unfriendly creatures, but, most importantly, the dangers of misplaced ambitions amongst wizards and witches, which can turn them into loyal followers of "You-know-who"; by the way, that sorry excuse of a man calls himself Lord Voldemort."

A collective gasp of surprise rang across the classroom: that name was so frightful no wizard or witch could even consider pronouncing it out loud, and yet Professor Scott had said it as casually as if he had been talking about the weather!

"Yes, class, I've said it. For the life of me, I can't understand that nonsense prevailing in the magic world, about not saying his name would protect you from danger. Saying "You-know-who" or "He-who-must-not-be-named" won't stop him or his minions to appear at your doorstep and murder your family. It is useless to bury your head in the sand like the legend says about ostriches. Here's my first lesson to you, children: _Fear won't shield you from danger_. If you choose to confront perils when they appear, you have a good chance to be the victor. And it is my job to prepare you for when the worst happen: may it be in the form of creatures acting on instinct, or a person driven mad by that Pureblood nonsense and who wants to kill you, simply because you don't match his or her standards."

The boys and girls seated exchanged nervous glances, especially the Muggle-born ones: they were, after all, only eleven years old of age and they had attended "normal" primary schools, meaning they hadn't had a lot of experience about the magic world or the war plaguing it. Then, one hand was raised:

"Yes, Miss?" asked Professor Scott.

"Lily Evans, Sir," said the pretty red-haired girl. "Excuse me, but do you mean what eventually, we'll have to fight against other wizards and witches when we will be grownups?"

"Yes, Miss Evans. Unfortunately, this conflict doesn't show any signs of calming down, and followers of "You-know-who" - also named Death Eaters - are very resolute in imposing the ideas of their lord and master on the entire world. This means that they would use any kind of force to convert you to their cause. This school is supposed to be a peaceful haven, safely away from warfare and violence, but unfortunately some students have already subscribed to the Pureblood ideology under their parents' influence, so they won't miss a chance to boast around their so-called superiority and bully some of their classmates. What I say may frighten you, but I have never believed that keeping children in ignorance is for their own good: in fact, secrets and lies can have deadly consequences!"

Sirius silently approved the teacher: he had learnt at an early age that it was better to be warned about conspiracies plotted by evil-minded persons, including his own parents!

Professor Scott's green eyes hardened like emeralds when he added: "However, I am not going to turn you into little fighters before sending you to the front lines, while adults would remain safely behind. In fact, the very idea of child-soldiers disgusts me! I want you to be prepared so you'll be ready to fight aggressors who could consider you as easy preys because of your tender years; but concerning the war currently brewing within our world, its combatants should be exclusively adults, but certainly not children or teenagers. And no one, even Headmaster Dumbledore, will convince me otherwise!"

A silence followed Professor Scott's words, and Sirius felt uneasy at the idea of young wizards-in-training battling against full-fledged sorcerers; he had a good imagination and he had played the part of the hero countless times in cowboys and pirates' games, but how could anyone ask him to fight wizards at only eleven years old of age? Besides, how could responsible adults send inexperienced children to fight enemies in their stead? That very idea was simply monstrous!

But a horrible thought crossed the young Black's mind: _his parents would certainly agree to send him to certain death; their own glory and their Master's were far more important than their son's life!_

Sirius glanced around the classroom and saw that some of the students looked uneasy, but others looked at Professor Scott doubtfully, as if they were trying to figure out whether he was pulling their legs or not. Then, the teacher smiled and opened his briefcase.

"All right, let's start with our first lesson: the Pink Pixies! Open your books at page…"

At the same moment, the classroom's front door opened and a small, brown-haired boy wearing the Gryffindor colours poked his head in.

"Er… E-Excuse m-m-e… I was l-l-looking for r-room 2-2.WW…. for the D-D-DADA class…. Is it… Is it here, S-S-Sir?"

Sirius' gray eyes widened: it was Peter Pettigrew, the awkward kid!

"Yes, it is, young man!" answered Professor Scott with a kind smile. "Come in!"

Unbelievably, Pettigrew looked even more scared after the DADA teacher had invited him to enter the room. In fact, he was acting as if he was walking inside a lion's den, clutching his book bag so tightly his knuckles had blanched and his lower lip was trembling uncontrollably!

"Now, now, my boy! There's no need to be afraid, you are not in trouble!"

"I-I-I'm s-s-s-sorry I'm l-l-late, Sir! I l-l-l-lost my way and I-I-I had t-to ask another teacher for d-d-d-directions…" started to explain Pettigrew, but Professor Scott waved away his explanations with a smile.

"It is perfectly normal to have a hard time finding your way through the corridors on your first day at Hogwarts. Your lateness is excusable and you haven't made your house loose points. Now sit down – there a desk available on the back row – and open your book at page 3."

Pettigrew obeyed instantly, sliding down on the chair as if he wanted to disappear under the desk. Sirius was starting to wonder about this classmate; he always seemed to be scared out of his mind and ready to flee the premises of Hogwarts at the first opportunity! But last night, the young Black had overheard Pettigrew's conversation with Sammy Brown in the dormitory, where he had said both his parents belonged to the magical world; consequently, he must have heard of Hogwarts since his childhood. So why was Pettigrew so nervous, acting as if he had come to this school unwillingly? Maybe he had been worried to end up in Slytherin? But the Sorting Hat had placed Pettigrew in Gryffindor – after a long delay, true, but still! - so it would surely mean the boy had good potential and was courageous. So why was he acting so strangely?

Sirius shook his head, and then he turned his attention towards Professor Scott's lecture.

* * *

The rest of the lesson went smoothly. The DADA class had been very interesting; Professor Scott explained for about an hour the origins of the Pink Pixies and how their favourite pastime was to spook out travellers on desert roads at nights. Those ugly-looking creatures could be easily knocked off on their backs by a _Flipendo_ spell, rending them as powerless as overturned turtles, and the teacher had shown the students how to cast it by waving their wands in a spiral-like movement.

Afterwards, the children had spent the rest of the lecture practising the _Flipendo_ on various objects – books, artefacts, empty birdcages, whatever was available for experiment. James Potter had succeeded in casting the spell after his third attempt, making his DADA book fly across the room like a red comet. Peter Pettigrew utterly failed after ten tries and he busted out crying after dropping his wand on the floor, his small frame shaking in heavy sobs – the teacher had a hard time to calm him down.

Lily Evans had managed to "Flipendo" a vase after her sixth try, but she got a reward for her perseverance: a hidden Bertie Botts' Every Flavoured Bean came out of the ceramic! Mary McDonald had succeeded on her eighth attempt, just at the moment when she was losing hope, but her spell had perfectly made a large box tumbling all over with a loud bang. Remus Lupin had made it on his fourth attempt, but he gave a contrite smile after his school bag nearly fell on a boy's foot.

But of all the students, it was Sirius who had had the best results: a perfect _Flipendo_ spell on his second attempt! It had made the pile of books on the teacher's desk fall on the floor but Professor Scott didn't seem to mind: in fact, he had even complimented the young Black in front of his classmates!

After the DADA class, the Gryffindor students went to the school's main greenhouse to attend their first Herbology lesson, along with the Ravenclaw first-years. Professor Ceres Demeter was a plump woman with apple-like cheeks and each of her fingernails was painted in a different colour, imitating a rainbow; her wide-brimmed hat was constantly covered with soil, moss and humus, so a miniature garden was growing on it, sporting flowers and berries. She looked like an amiable person, but her red cheeks turned green after she had read the name _"Black, Sirius"_ on the students' roll.

"Herbology plays a very important part in the magic world. Plants are living organisms and some of them had appeared on Earth since the early times of its formation, so they must be treated with respect. Too many wizards and witches dismiss plants for being only ingredients for potions, or they are interested only in the dangerous ones to brew mixtures against their enemies. That kind of action is the absolute corruption of herbology, and I won't have it in this class. Anyone caught using plants to make poisonous beverages against students from non-magic families will be expelled from this school at once. Do I make myself clear?" said Professor Demeter while casting an angry glare at the young Black, seated in the second row.

All the students looked at Sirius, who felt furious at the silent and unfair accusation. He had often thought his parents could poison themselves with their own saliva if they'd accidentally bit on their tongues, but he had never considered brewing lethal beverages in his life! So why Professor Demeter was looking at him like he was a fat and hairy caterpillar chewing on the leaves of her favourite plant? But the Herbology teacher had obviously a grudge against the Most Ancient and Noble house of Black, and she seemed willing to give her student a hard time simply because of the circumstances of his birth.

Sirius sighed: that was the price he had to pay for being different from the rest of his family. He could only hope the rest of the Hogwarts teachers wouldn't have the same kind of prejudice against him. He took out his Herbology book (a green-covered one, bearing the title _"Herbier for beginners" by Flora Natura_) from his bag but when he looked up, Sirius was surprised to see James Potter looking at him. And this time, the bespectacled boy didn't have a distrusted expression on his face: in fact, he was staring at Sirius as if he sympathized with him.

But the young boy didn't have the time to elaborate on his classmate's eventual change of heart. The voice of Professor Demeter rang out through the main greenhouse: "Mister Black! Are you listening to me?"

Sirius jumped on his seat and turned his attention back to the teacher.

"Yes, ma'am." That was an automatic answer, the one he used when he was too tired to argue with his mother.

"Good! Then you'd be kind enough to tell your classmates what a _Calluna vulgaris_ is?"

Sirius got on his feet, his anger making his gaze turning stormy-gray. He hadn't done anything wrong and he didn't deserve Professor Demeter's contempt. He had a very low tolerance for injustice and that woman was going to learn about his rebellious tendencies! Looking at the teacher straight in the eyes, he said:

"That's the Latin name for the heather shrub, ma'am."

Professor Demeter's look of astonishment was priceless, as if she couldn't believe a first-year already knew the answer to that difficult question! But in spite of her surprise, she refused to back down so she asked:

"And what is the _Bellis perennis_, Mister Black?"

"That's the lawn daisy."

"And the _Onopordum acanthium_?"

"That is the Scotch thistle, Professor Demeter."

"And where would I go if I wanted to find a _Ranunculus acris_?"

"Any field would do, ma'am. _Ranunculus acris_ is the designation of the meadow buttercup."

Professor Demeter was purple with rage; her plan to admonish Sirius had backfired badly since the boy had obviously read "_Herbier for beginners"_ already and knew by heart the Latin names of all the plants mentioned in the book. A few muffled laughs could be heard among the rows of desks: Sirius had beaten the teacher at her own game! Mary McDonald was stifling giggles behind her hand while Lily Evans was gesturing wildly to her to be quiet. The Ravenclaw students, supposedly the most intelligent bunch of Hogwarts, looked worryingly at that potential rival. Pettigrew looked more afraid than during the confrontation with the Howler at the Great Hall, if possible! Lupin gave an "I-told-you-so" grimace at Potter, who shrugged lightly with an "I-stand-corrected" expression on his face.

Sirius smiled inwardly. All summer he had to hide in his secret hut, situated in a remote location of the Black Manor's park, in order to read his school books in peace but he had gained more than a nice tan out of it: he also had a good advance on his studies! But Professor Demeter looked furious by the young boy's success and the amusement of his classmates, so she said in a sharp tone:

"Sit down, Mister Black! The rest of you lot, be quiet! Open your books at page five and I don't want to hear a pin drop!"

The following hour wasn't very nice. Enraged at being proven wrong by a student she had decided to hate, the Herbology teacher barked her lesson more than she taught it. She interrogated every child with the harshness of a police officer looking for a serial killer, made Pettigrew shake all over after he admitted he didn't know what the Latin name of the sunflower was, and finally released the class with a lot of homework to do for the next lecture, with an extra essay for a Ravenclaw student who had happened to have groaned too loudly.

"_Well, at least she didn't take points off Gryffindor because I answered correctly!"_ thought Sirius, but something was telling him that one of the Hogwarts teacher wouldn't be burdened by this kind of scruples.

TBC….


	5. The attack

**Disclaimer**: the same as in Chapter 1

**Author's notes:**

- To AliciaFB: thank you very much for your kind words! I hope you'll like this new chapter.

- The Astronomy teacher Le Verrier is of my own creation: I've named him after French astronomer Urbain Le Verrier (1811 - 1877), who discovered the planet Neptune in 1846.

- Details from the star Sirius comes from Wikipedia.

* * *

**Chapter 5: the attack**

The Herbology lesson had left Sirius with mixed feelings: he was glad he had proven to Professor Demeter that he was able to identify several plants when given their Latin names; but on the other hand, she didn't seem ready to give him a chance to prove himself. In fact, she looked pretty upset during the whole lecture, as if his correct answers had offended her! And Sirius couldn't make out why: was it written somewhere in Hogwarts' Book of Rules that a young rebel couldn't have good studying habits?

Sirius was crossing the school grounds to go back to the castle; according to his timetable, Lunch would be served soon at the Great Hall and he longed for something to eat after a long morning in class. But the boy let out a heavy sigh: how many times adults needed to be convinced that he was different from the rest of his family? The Sorting Hat's decision, his mother's Howler, his summer reading, his eagerness to learn… Wasn't it enough? Did Professor Demeter want more proof, like a certificate from the Ministry of Magic, or maybe a sworn testimony from an Auror? Or, even better, a letter from his parents delivered by Fulbert, announcing his upcoming disownment! And what would happen if the other teachers were as suspicious as Professor Demeter, would a cloud of doubt float above the young Black's head all year long?

Sirius' grey eyes hardened in anger: whatever the Hogwarts teachers thought of him or how hard the year would be, the eleven-year-old was determined to follow his heart and his principles. He had the Gryffindor courage and he wouldn't be scared by idiots or mule-headed! Besides he already had some allies, like Professor Scott, Mary McDonald and her friend Lily Evans…

"Hey, Black!"

The call made Sirius snap out of his thoughts, and he looked up to see Albert Morris waving at him. The Prefect was standing under a huge oak tree, nearby a path leading to the Quiddich fields.

"Hello, Albert!" said Sirius, happy to see a friendly face.

"Hello, mate; how is your first day so far?"

"Oh, it's fine! The DADA class with Professor Scott was great; we practised the _Flipendo_ spell and it was tons of fun to make objects tumble and fall! I like Professor Scott, he explains very well and he doesn't make use feel like idiots if we fail. Right afterwards we had… er… Herbology class at the main greenhouse, with Professor Demeter," finished Sirius, his voice trailing a bit at the mention of that teacher.

"Did she give you a hard time?" asked Albert.

Sirius lowered his eyes to the ground. He wasn't the kind to complain, but it would taste a lie if he'd say the Herbology teacher hadn't been prejudiced towards him. Albert slipped two fingers under the young boy's chin and made him raise his head; Sirius complied, but remained silent.

"There is no reason for you to feel embarrassed, mate," said the Prefect. "Professor Demeter is a nice person, but two years ago tragedy struck in her family, and it has changed her."

"What happened?"

"Her brother used to be an Apothecary and Poisons Expert. His work at St. Mungo's Hospital has helped to save dozens of persons, mostly Aurors, who had been poisoned as retaliation for their fight against You-know-who followers. Some of the Pureblood fanatics resented his healing actions and one night, Professor Demeter's brother was ambushed by Death Eaters."

"Did… Did he die?"

"No, mate, he defended himself pretty well, and I guess the Death Eaters didn't expect such resistance from a Healer. But in the end he was overpowered and… they beat the Hell out of him. He will remain in a wheelchair for the rest of his life."

Sirius was horrified by this tale, and all of a sudden the realities of the war raging in the wizarding world slapped him on the face. _People being crippled, tortured, even killed in the name of an ideology worshipped by his own parents… Families in mourning… Children being orphaned… And to think the speeches of He-who-mustn't-be-named had already contaminated Hogwarts…_

"Professor Demeter has developed a hate towards You-know-who followers, and it is rumoured that she had requested Professor Dumbledore to forbid her lectures to Slytherin students, since most of Pureblood elitists' children are placed in this house; but he flatly refused, stating he wouldn't have any kind of ostracism in his school."

"I am not…" started Sirius, but Albert interrupted him.

"I know, mate. You may be issued from You-know-who followers but you don't share their opinions, and you're a Gryffindor to the core. All I'm saying is… Give Professor Demeter some time to change her opinion about you, right?"

"But what if she doesn't? What if she has already decided to fail me in Herbology, simply because my last name is Black?" said Sirius, finally voicing out his worst fears.

"That won't happen! You can be sure of that. Professor Demeter isn't an unjust teacher. Just keep on studying and behaving, and you'll prove her that not all the Pureblood kids are their Mums and Dads' parrots!"

Sirius smiled widely at those words, and his flint-coloured eyes shone in amusement as he mentally pictured his brother Regulus, sitting in a birdcage with feathers glued to his clothes and hair, and repeating every one of their parents' words! Albert saw the young boy's mood had improved, so he quickly changed the subject:

"So, you're heading for lunch, aren't you?"

"That's right. Are you coming to the Great Hall too, Albert?"

"No, mate, I have Quiddich practice now. On top of my Prefect's duties, I am also Beater in the Gryffindor team. Have you ever attended to a match?"

Sirius sighed: "Our parents forbid us to play Quiddich or to go see matches. They say it's a vulgar sport, unworthy of "our rank" even though some of their friends play it, like the Malfoys. Once, I got punished for a week because I've pinned on my bedroom's wall a photo of Bobby Vincent, the Chudley Cannons Seeker. I've cut the photo out of the _Daily Prophet_'s sports page – a reprehensive newspaper – and Vincent is Muggle-born, so…"

"But you _like_ Quiddich, do you?" asked Albert.

"Oh yes! I've never been allowed to play, but I know all the rules by heart and I've flew a broom in secret a few times!"

"That's great! The first game of the season is in three weeks, Hufflepuff against Gryffindor. I hope you'll be in the stadium's stands, cheering for us!"

"You can count me in!" exclaimed Sirius.

"I know I can, mate. Now, off you go to the Great Hall, I can hear the growling of your empty stomach from where I stand!"

The young Black laughed at those words, and then he trotted along towards the castle. He silently added Albert Morris to his list of allies: the Prefect was definitively a nice guy!

* * *

After a hearty lunch of roasted beef, mashed potatoes, tomato salad and cream caramel, Sirius ran to room 3, fourth floor of the East Wing to attend his first Charms class with Professor Filius Flitwick, along with the Hufflepuff First Years. The Charms teacher was very compact – about three feet tall -, with white fluffy whiskers and he had to stand on the teacher's desk to be at level's eye with his students. Fortunately for Sirius, this lecture went smoothly with the Hobbit-sized teacher, who had barely raised a white, bushy eyebrow after reading Sirius' name in the Gryffindor students' list.

Professor Flitwick had taught the children how to hold their brand-new wands the right way, as well as the "flick-and-wick" movement which was the very first one to be mastered before the students could even try to cast the simplest charm. To the unaware eye, it didn't really matter how a magic wand was held or wavered, but Professor Flitwick insisted how untrue that idea was since, according to him, _"Casting a spell without the right movement of your wand would be as difficult as trying to eat while holding a fork between your toes!"_

The boy had enjoyed this class, even if Raymond Wright, a Hufflepuff student, had nearly poked Sirius' eye out because he was holding his wand with his left hand! Wright had apologized profusely and Professor Flitwick had come to make sure the young Black was all right. Then he had gently corrected Sirius' flick-and-wick movement, and the boy could have sworn the small teacher had winked to him. Raymond Wright – who had a sweet tooth and a tendency to eat candy in class – slipped into Sirius's hand a few Bertie Botts Every Flavoured Beans to make amends; they were gratefully accepted!

The next and last lecture of the day was Astronomy, so the children had to climb the castle's highest tower through a vertiginous spiral staircase to meet with Professor Mizar Le Verrier. He was a tall and thin man with aristocratic bearings and a very long neck, as if he had stretched it to look at the sky more easily. But he left Sirius astonished after he said:

"Black, Sirius… _Sirius_? You are named after the star, aren't you?"

As on cue, all the students' heads turned towards the young boy, who nearly said he was actually named after one of his ancestors. But he changed his mind and he quickly answered:

"That's right, Sir."

"What a marvellous name! You see, the star Sirius is the brightest in the night sky with a visual apparent magnitude of −1.47. It is part of the _Canis Major_ constellation – it means the "Big Dog" in Latin. It is actually a binary star, composed of a white main star termed Sirius A, and a faint white dwarf companion, named Sirius B. It was veneered by Ancient Egyptians who based their calendar on its yearly heliacal rising…"

Professor Le Verrier ranted about that peculiar star for about half an hour, making the young Black blush several shades of red. He already had enough trouble with his family name; the last thing he needed was this publicity about his first name! Sirius felt embarrassed because he felt he had been under the spotlight too many times already, but a nice smile from Mary McDonald lifted his spirits and he endured the teacher's conference. Then, much to his relief, Professor Le Verrier changed subject and asked the children to open their blue-colored book (_"Aim for the stars"_, by Lyman Hubble) for their first lesson about the solar system. Apparently, the Astronomy teacher was too concentrated on his star-gazing to bother notice the conflict brewing inside the wizarding world, and that kind of attitude was bringing much relief to the young Black!

* * *

After the Astronomy lesson was over, the First Years ran down the narrow staircase: Tea was about to served at the Great Hall, and they were eager to get fresh tea and biscuits after that long afternoon. Afterwards, it would be Study Period and each of the four teachers they've had since morning had given them a lot of homework to do. Sirius had already planned to do his studying in the library: after that most tiring day, he wanted some peace and it was rumored that Madam Pince, the librarian, was a most severe woman who didn't tolerate any kind of noise within her kingdom. The young boy didn't feel the Gryffindor's common room would be appropriate for him to study, after his mother's Howler and the ruckus about his name all day long!

After leaving the Astronomy tower, Sirius crossed a square-shaped garden with multi-colored flowerbeds and a huge stone fountain standing at the junction of the diagonal paths. It was displaying sculptures of the Hogwarts' mascots, which were allegories of the fourth elements: Hufflepuff's badger represented the earth; Slytherin's snake was for water; Ravenclaw's crow symbolized the air and Gryffindor's lion the fire. The animals were sculpted as if they were standing guard and watching for enemies coming from the four cardinal points.

Sirius had a bronze coin left in his pockets and he was considering dropping it in the fountain's water to make a wish… but suddenly a hand grabbed him by the arm and a forceful push made him fall face down on the garden's soil!

The violence of the shock cut the young Black's breathing and he gasped for air, his lungs momentarily paralyzed. But whoever attacking him didn't have any intention of waiting for him to recover his senses. A vicious blow in his back made him cry out in pain and his body instinctively curled up on itself for protection. All Sirius could see were large feet in Hogwarts-suited shoes and sock, trampling the ground all around him. Someone kicked at his brand-new school bag like a football, sending it fly at the other side of the garden. He turned on his back as best as he could and saw the face of four students hovering over him… four mean-looking teenagers, all of them tall and muscular, and bearing the Slytherin colors on their sweaters and ties.

"Hey, lookee here, guys!" said one of the aggressors with a face covered with acne, carefully confiscating the wand tucked inside Sirius' cloak pocket. "We got ourselves a blood-traitor!"

"You're right, Rob! It's the Black brat who was soooo happy to be sorted in Gryffindor!" answered another one with a malevolent smile showing yellow teeth.

"Oh, look!" snickered a third one, "Baby-Black has his eyes full of tears? Oooh, what a crybaby! What a wimp! Whiner! No wonder he couldn't go in Slytherin! Then again, what use would our house have of this kind of wimp? Probably just mop the floors with his mop of hair!"

Sirius did have tears in his eyes, but it was only due to the pain irradiating from his back. He had more than his share of fights with his brother Regulus, his cousins and children of his parents' friends, and yet he had never been afraid of physical confrontations. He knew he was in danger since the four bullies had ambushed him in a deserted place, but he was also resolute to not back down, no matters how much the odds were against him.

"Not feeling too high-and-mighty, eh, Blackie?" spat the fourth coward. "Starting to regret we weren't good enough for you?"

The one who had kicked Sirius' school bag away was prudently remaining in the background, enjoying the sight of a young boy being thoroughly beaten up by four teenagers stronger than their victim: it was Lucius Malfoy.

"Bah, don't bother about his pedigree, Damian. It's just another insignificant pup which should have been drowned as soon as it had been whelped, like our Master preaches us to do so," said the acne-faced one called Rob. "Even his mother said he should have been killed at birth, like in the Howler she sent this morning, remember? So let's do the world a favor and give the Black brat a dip in the fountain!"

Rob reached out to grab Sirius by the front of his shirt; but suddenly he recoiled, yelping in a high-pitched voice:

"OUCH! My hand! The little bastard has bitten me!"

His friends didn't have the time to understand; in spite of the irradiating pain in his back, Sirius jumped at his attackers, howling in rage. His first hit was lucky, and he punched the teenager with the dirty teeth right on the nose. A good kick made the one called "Damian" jump on one foot as he was holding his leg with both hands, yelling: "_Ow ow ow_!". Rob tried to grab him again and the Black heir bit him violently again, on the arm this time, making his aggressor scream frightfully.

But unfortunately Sirius' triumph was short-lived: a fist hit him square in the face and he fell on the ground, completely dizzy and his vision darkening. It was impossible for him to call for help, even if he had wanted to do so, because the blow had numbed his jaw. Mute and defenseless, the young boy felt rough hands grabbing his arms and legs and he knew the older boys were actually going to drown him in the fountain. Terror seized him and he struggled with all his might, but to no avail.

"Hold him tight!" yelled the yellow-teeth one sporting a bloodied nose. "He kicks like a mule!"

One of the bullies accidentally let go of Sirius' leg and the young Black seized the opportunity to kick him square in the face. Another yelp of pain from the Slytherin, another hit for Sirius – this time in the stomach – and the young boy nearly passed out, thinking it was the end, he was going to die at the tender age of eleven years old… and then he landed hard on the ground. His attackers had dropped him. What was going on?

"Oh! Ouch! Let go! Argh!"

"Let go of him!" screamed a young boy's voice.

"Bunch of cowards! _Flipendo_! _Flipendo_!" yelled another one.

Sirius opened his eyes and he thought he was hallucinating: Remus Lupin had jumped on Rob's back and he was pounding the eyes and face of the older boy, howling like a wolf. The book-addict seemed revolted and his amber-colored eyes were shining like flames! James Potter, wand in hand, had used the _Flipendo_ spell they had learned earlier in class this morning to send the bullies flat on their backs. Two of them were already knocked down but the third one, named Damian, had also got his wand out and he was pointing it menacingly at James.

"You shouldn't have mingled with our business, short-stuff," growled the Slytherin. "You should have learned your place!"

"My place is here," replied the bespectacled boy, placing himself between the teenager and Sirius. "And I'm not afraid of you, gutless slug! Come and get it, if you dare!"

The teenager yelled _"Crucio!"_ but James was too fast for him: he did a somersault worthy of a Quiddich player and the red light missed him; it hit the fountain instead, creating a violent explosion that sent particles of stone everywhere. Sirius felt something slashing at his face and he understood a piece of rock had missed his eye by only an inch. James landed on his feet and screamed "_Flipendo_!", sending Damian fly on his back like an overturned turtle on its carapace. In the meantime, Remus had wrapped both his arms around Rob's neck in a chokehold and the older boy was turning like a spinning top, trying desperately to swing the First-Year off his back.

"Little bastard! Ungh! Let go of me!"

"You can go to blazes!" screamed Remus Lupin, tightening his grip for both restraining Sirius' attacker and to prevent himself from falling. "You asked for it!"

Unknowingly of the combatants, Lucius Malfoy quickly slipped out of the garden. His marvelous plan to get his revenge on Black had backfired badly! He had thought it very clever of him to "recruit" four Six-Year Slytherin students – Robert Wilkinson, Damian Symes, Henry McIntosh and Parker Hill, convincing them that the blood-traitor would be an easy prey and a fine example of what could happen to those who rebelled against the Dark Lord. But two other Gryffindor First-Year had come out of nowhere to attack his men! The odds were now three against four, and it seemed the Gryffindor were winning.

The sight of the red-haired DADA teacher rushing towards the garden definitively decided Malfoy to leave the battlefield. It was time to disappear! And if his former associates mentioned his name, he'd just have to deny everything. Those imbeciles Crabbe and Goyle could easily confirm his alibi…

"HEY, YOU LOT! STOP THAT FIGHTING AT ONCE! STOP IT, I'VE SAID!" yelled Professor Scott with a stentorian voice, making the boys freeze on the spot.

James Potter still had his wand in his hand, and he knew he was in trouble for casting spells outside the classrooms. But after he had seen Sirius being attacked by the four Slytherin students, he had thrown the school's regulations to the winds and had though only about coming to the young boy's rescue. And his friend Remus had amazed him: he had jumped into the fight like a wild animal! His friend's health was improving!

Professor Scott looked furious: he grabbed Damian Symes by the scruff of his neck and shook him like a poplar tree in a thunderstorm:

"You disgusting coward!" roared the DADA teacher. "You dared to cast an _**Unforgivable spell**_ against a First-Year! And don't bother denying it, I saw you with my own eyes! I should report you at once and have you sent to Azkaban! Oh, you're going to regret it after I'm done with you! Did you think the law about Unforgivable spells didn't apply to you? Or maybe you wished your father's money and influence would shield you from trouble? Well, it won't!"

Remus finally let go of Rob Wilkinson and he landed harmlessly nearby Sirius; but Wilkinson didn't dare to try hitting him: not with James Potter pointing his wand right at him!

"Let go of me!" screamed Symes; his face had palled considerably after Professor Scott had talked about Azkaban. "You have no right to touch me!"

"I have every right to arrest a wizard-in-training deliberately committing a first-degree felony! _**I used to be an Auror**_!"

The declaration stunned James and Remus, who were kneeling on the ground trying to assist Sirius: Professor Scott had never mentioned his background during their morning class!

The sounds of the struggle had finally raised the alarm, and Professor Scott saw a bunch of students coming inside the garden, followed by the Headmaster, Minerva McGonagall and Iago Nitric. Every student was looking with round eyes at the two Gryffindor First-Years helping a classmate, while two teenagers Slytherin students were slowing getting back on their feet and two more were looking pretty worried!

"What's going on here?" roared the Potions Master. "What in the name of Merlin are you doing with one of my students? I order you to let go of him at once!"

"Forget it!" shot Professor Scott back, tightening his grip on Damian Symes. "He had done the unacceptable, and I'm reporting him to the Aurors right now!"

"Calm down, Barisan, calm down!" said Albus Dumbledore. "Whatever this young man has done, it is up to Professor Nitric, Head of the Slytherin House, to punish him; not to you."

"Yeah, he'd give him a little slap on the wrist and a congratulation speech, as usual. Well, not this time, Headmaster! I saw this student casting a _Crucio_ spell against a First-Year; as a former Auror, I cannot overlook this!"

The older students of Hogwarts exchanged incredulous looks: they had been taught all about Unforgivable spells (_Crucio, Imperius, _and_ Avada Kedavra_) during their DADA lessons, and also the inevitable consequence for their uses: a life sentence to Azkaban. They could hardly believe one of them would deliberately cast a _Crucio_ spell against another student!

"I'm sure it was an accident!" said Professor Nitric.

"An accident, my foot!" shot Professor Scott. "He did it on purpose, I saw him!"

"Barisan, I think it would be better if we learned the exact circumstances of this illegal spell casting," said Dumbledore with his best patronizing tone, which was making Sirius' skin crawl. "There are four Six-Year Slytherins here, and three First-Year Gryffindors. Mr. Potter, will you tell us what happened here?"

"Those gits were attacking Sirius!" yelled James, his whole frame shaking with barely-controlled anger.

"Mr. Potter, mind your language!" exclaimed Professor McGonagall.

"There are no other words to describe those cowards, Professor; and now isn't the time to worry about subtleties, if you don't mind my saying so!" shot back the wild-haired eleven-year-old, thus earning a few snickers from the gathered students. "Remus and I were crossing the garden when we saw these four Slytherin beating up Sirius: they wanted to throw him into the fountain! So I flipendoed two of them while Remy stopped the third one, and that big bastard casted a red-lighted spell at me which damaged the fountain; but I dodged it and I flipendoed him as well, just before Professor Scott arrived. I used magic outside the classrooms and I will do it again in a heartbeat, because I hate bullies and I don't care about punishments from fighting them!"

"Hear, hear!" said one voice out loud, amongst the crowd of students.

"He's right, Professor McGonagall," intervened Remus. "Everything James has said is true. Those Slytherins attacked Sirius Black and we just wanted to stop them."

The green-robed, severe-looking witch looked pretty surprised at both James' vehement diatribe and Remus' calm statement. Then she lowered herself on one knee to look at Sirius, who was struggling to sit up.

"Mister Black?" called out Professor McGonagall, gently cupping Sirius' face with her hand. "Are you all right?"

Sirius was in no shape to lie: the pain in his back was so intense it felt like he would never be able to walk again, just like it happened with Professor Demeter's brother; and the blow to his face had damaged his jaw, making it very difficult to speak. He shook his head negatively, trying not to cry out in front of the teachers and the Hogwarts pupils, but it was getting harder every second.

"Mister Black, could you please tell me why those Slytherin students attacked you?"

The answer was so softly-spoken the Transfiguration teacher had to approach her ear very closely to the young boy's mouth. But when she understood the words whispered by Sirius, her face turned livid in a second! Then, something that had never been witnessed in Hogwarts happened; Professor McGonagall gathered Sirius in her arms, helped him to stand up and then she turned a furious face at the four Slytherin students, who instinctively recoiled as if she had slapped them right in the face.

"Er… Minerva?" asked Professor Dumbledore, sounding a big unsure of himself. Professor McGonagall was renowned for being a strict and impartial rule-observer, consequently no boy or girl could ever pretend to be her favorite pupil. In fact, it was even rumored in Hogwarts' corridors that she had never praised a student during her whole career as a Transfiguration teacher. But Professor McGonagall was currently supporting Black with her arm wrapped around his shoulders, keeping him close to her like a mother hen protecting her chick!

"Professor Dumbledore, Black was attacked because he is, according to his attackers, a blood-traitor."

A collective "OH!" of surprise and revolt rang amongst the crowd of spectators. Students of all ages were looking in disgust at the four bullies, who seemed to finally realize how much trouble they were in. Yesterday evening, in the security of the Slytherin's Common Room, it had been great to elaborate a plan against Black under the suggestions of Lucius Malfoy! In fact, the very idea of grabbing a First-Year in a deserted garden and dipping him in a fountain until he'd suffocate had seemed so easy and without any risks! But their brilliant plan had been shot to pieces by Black's resistance, the two Gryffindor brats, and Professor Scott was an eyewitness of Symes' _Crucio_ spell. Things were turning bad, indeed!

Professor Nitric casted a venomous glance at Sirius, James and Remus, but the three boys weren't frightened by the silent threat. In fact, Sirius was too dizzy to be afraid; Remus merely shrugged, but James looked at the Potions Master right in the eyes with an insolent smile on his lips, as if he was ready to cast a _Flipendo_ spell at the teacher as well.

"Headmaster, I am taking Black to the infirmary right now, as well as Potter and Lupin," said Professor McGonagall with an icy voice revealing her wrath, daring anyone to contradict her. "After they will be entrusted to the care of Madam Pomfresh, I will go to your office to have a long talk with you, Professor Scott and Professor Nitric, about the future of Messrs Symes, Wilkinson, Hill and McIntosh at Hogwarts."

And, without adding another word, the Transfiguration teacher walked towards the Infirmary, her arm still firmly supporting the wounded Sirius who was biting at his lower lip to not scream out lout. James Potter and Remus Lupin followed suit, not bothering to look at the four culprits who were definitively in deep trouble.

Remus stopped for a second to retrieve Sirius' school bag, which was lying on the grass, and then he sighed: it was such a beautiful garden, a peaceful place; how a cowardly act could have happened here?

TBC…


	6. The decision

**Disclaimer**: I am not J.K. Rowling. If I were, Sirius would never have died in the Department of mysteries and he would have punched Snape on the nose for sabotaging the Occlumency lessons, savvy?

**Author's notes:**

- Hagrid mentioned his expulsion from Hogwarts in "The Sorcerer's Stone" book, and how his wand got broken in the process.

- To Matteic: bonjour! J'espère que ce nouveau chapitre te plaira!

* * *

**Chapter ****6: the decision**

_Hogwarts' Hospital Wing…_

White.

Everything was white.

Sirius' eyes fluttered open, but all he could see was the colour white. He didn't hurt anymore but he couldn't understand where he was. It was kind of eerie to change from absolute darkness to plain stark light, and the boy's heart thudded against his ribs as panic seized him: where was he? Where was everybody?

The young Black moved slightly his hands, and the rustling of fabric made him realise he was lying face down on a bed. The white he was seeing came from the pillow cushioning his face. His vision cleared and he saw particles of dust dancing in the air, illuminated by rays of sunlight coming through the transparent panels of an arched window, rows of strictly-made beds with immaculate sheets and blankets, huge canvases hanging on the walls. The last thing Sirius remembered was the face of Madam Pomfresh, the school nurse, hovering over him just before the pain on his back had become too intense to bear, making him fall head first in the lake of dreams. So he must be in Hogwarts' Hospital Wing…

Slowly raising his head from the pillow, the boy blinked and looked around, hoping to see the nurse. But, much to his astonishment, he spotted James Potter and Remus Lupin, sitting cross-legged on the tiled floor and scribbling in their notebooks!

Sirius involuntarily grunted, and then he clumsily pushed away the beige blanket covering him. The pain in his back had vanished, thanks goodness – and Madam Pomfresh. He was still wearing his school uniform, minus his shoes, so he guessed correctly the nurse didn't want to keep him in overnight.

His movements made Remus lift his eyes from whatever he was writing on his notebook, and the Gryffindor boy smiled.

"Look who's awake! Welcome back!"

James turned about and saw Sirius sitting on the edge of the bed, rubbing his sleepy eyes and feeling for bruises on his face.

"Take it easy, mate!" said the bespectacled boy. "Madam Pomfresh said you'll be all right, but you mustn't rush things. So wait for a minute or two before jumping on your feet, right?"

Sirius sighed: he was still a bit dizzy so jumping on his feet was quite out of the question, even without Madam Pomfresh's instructions. His face was still feeling sore, a souvenir from the Slytherin's fist slamming against his jaw, and there was a bloodied cut on his lower lip.

"W-what happened?" asked the young Black heir.

"Don't you remember the attack?" asked James. "Four Slytherins ambushed you in the garden outside the Astronomy Tower. Remy and I came and fought off those cowards!"

Sirius had a small smile: how could he forget the very first time of his life where some people actually came to his rescue?

"I do remember the aggression, Potter. And I am very grateful to you and Lupin for your intervention. I owe you my life, guys. There are no doubts in my mind that the Slytherins would have drowned me in the fountain if not for you. I meant, what happened afterwards?"

"Well, Professor McGonagall took the three of us to the Hospital Wing. You for a check-up, and us to make sure we haven't been hurt in the attack," said Remus. "Madam Pomfresh put a simple Sleeping Spell on you so she could heal your bruises and the nasty kick you got on your back without hurting you. She said you'd sleep for about two hours and then you'd be back on your feet, but you should feel sore for the rest of the day."

"She was right… I **do** feel kind of sore, even if the pain is gone."

"No wonder here: you got punched pretty badly. You have bruises around your left eye and a split lip, but Madam Pomfresh said it should fade in a day or two. While she was tending to you, James and I got told off by McGonagall about fighting like hoods, casting spells outside the classrooms, defiant attitude and rude language. Then she mentioned solidarity towards a fellow Gryffindor and courage of opinions. All in one, we earned a punishment: we had to write two hundred times "_I must not fight but call for teachers' help in case of trouble"_. We did them when you were sleeping off the nurse's spell."

Sirius' face paled at the mention of lines: "Oh, gosh! I have a hundred to write for McGonagall, about using magic in the Great Hall after I've tried to destroy my mother's Howler. What is the time?"

"Relax, mate!" said James. "It's only 5:45 p.m. You've missed study period, but you'll still have plenty of time to do your punishment after dinner. Besides, after what you went through, McGonagall would understand if you handed it out a bit later tomorrow morning!"

"And we could help in writing your lines, if you'd like us to do so," added Remus.

The young Black smiled, sincerely touched by Potter's and Remus' loyalty towards him. Thinking that some people were actually concerned about his well-being gave him a warm feeling in the heart… something he had never gotten from his parents or his brother. The few persons who had ever showed him affection, like his uncle Alphard or his cousin Andromeda had been ostracized by Walburga Black, who made it a point afterwards of never mentioning their names again.

"Thanks again, guys. For helping me in the garden, for telling the teachers what had happened… I think Professor Nitric would have blamed the whole attack on me to get his students out of trouble, and I wasn't in shape to say otherwise."

"No doubts here!" snorted James. "When he learned one of the slimy snakes had casted an Unforgivable Spell on me, he gave us the evil eye before we left the garden with McGonagall; but if that pompous poisoner thinks he can scare me, he's mistaken!"

"Hush, James!" said Remus, looking nervously around while desperately trying not to laugh. "You don't want to be heard by Madam Pomfresh, now, do you?"

"Bah!" snorted the wild-combed boy. "She will approve my words. Don't you remember her face, when McGonagall told her about Black being attacked by Six-Year Slyterins? She was absolutely furious!"

"She may have be, but be careful! Children's opinions are often censored by adults, who have a tendency to not practice what they preach about frankness."

James grumbled between his teeth – something that sounded like _"idiots"_ – but let the matter drop for the moment. Sirius lowered his socked feet on the ground and stood up: the dizziness had passed and he was feeling much better. He spotted his shoes nearby the nightstand and he tied them on; then, he grabbed his school cloak and he started to search frenetically inside the garment.

"Black? Have you lost something?" asked James.

"My wand! One of the Slytherins took it after knocking me to the ground… the acne-faced one named Rob. He must still have it!" answered Sirius, panicking at the thought of having lost the precious item. It was impossible to learn charms and spells without a wand and he certainly couldn't ask his parents to buy him another one from Ollivander's shop, in Diagon Alley!

"Oh, don't worry about it!" said Remus. "Professor Scott came to the Hospital Wing for a second, saying he had found your wand on Wilkinson. Since you were asleep, we decided to keep it for you," and the brown-haired boy produced the wand from out of his schoolbag to hand it over to Sirius, who accepted it with much relief.

"Thanks, mates. You are real life-savers. I'm sorry I got so angry at you in the Hogwarts Express and in the dormitory."

"Nonsense, Black! You are a true Gryffindor and I'm the one who has to apologize for being so rude towards you in the train," said James, looking a bit embarrassed. "I should have listened to Remy and give you the benefit of the doubt, instead of thinking you were a You-know-who maniac like the rest of your relatives. The Sorting Hat's decision should have proved me my mistake, but I was too stubborn to admit I was wrong about you. I can only hope you can forgive me because… well… I'd like us to be friends."

Sirius remained agape for a moment: James Potter wanted to be friend with him, the young Black rebel who was in trouble at Hogwarts and in even deeper trouble with his family?

"You want to be friend with **me**, Potter? Considering the number of people who genuinely hate me, it could be dangerous to your health!" said Sirius, gingerly touching the bruise spreading around his left eye.

"Bring it on!" shot back the dark-haired boy. "Besides, you're worth the gamble. You're smart, loyal and you stand by your opinions. Who wouldn't want to have a friend like you?"

"It makes you a courageous person, and there are rare in both the Wizards' and the Muggles' worlds," added Remus with a weary look in his amber-coloured eyes.

A silence followed the boys' declaration, and Sirius felt both embarrassed and honoured. At least, he was accepted for who he was, for what he believed in, and peopled actually wanted to befriend him. His family's shadow was progressively removed and the young Black was gaining his place under the sun, where he would be allowed to grow and blossom. He extended his hand towards James in a peace-offering gesture:

"Hello, I'm Sirius Black, but you can call me Siri."

"Please to meet you, Siri! I'm James Potter, Jamie for my friends."

"And I'm Remus Lupin, Remy for short."

The three boys shook hands with wide smiles on their faces, enchanted to renew the friendship which had began in the Hogwarts Express but had been momentarily strained by a misunderstanding. But this time, their alliance was sealed for life, celebrating the birth of a group of pranksters who would become the worst marauders Hogwarts had ever known.

Remus took out some Chocolate Frogs from inside his schoolbag – he seemed to have an endless supply of them – and the boys chewed on them happily. Sirius got a Collector's Card out of the pentagonal candy box with a portrait of Helga Hufflepuff; James was rewarded with a card of Merlin (_"That's the 53rd time I get him,"_ said the bespectacled boy good-naturally) and Remus got Bertie Botts. After the last remnants of chocolate had melted on Sirius' tongue, an idea crossed his mind and he suddenly looked worried.

"Siri, what's wrong?" asked James.

"Did… I mean, when Professor Scott came to the Hospital Wing to bring my wand, did he say anything about the four Slytherins who attacked me? I remember Professor McGonagall saying she would have a chat about them with Dumbledore, Scott and Nitric."

Remus and James looked at each other, and then the book-addict said with a sigh:

"Yes, he told Madam Pomfresh about them. We weren't supposed to listen but frankly, we were as curious as you are so we listened through the door of her office. Well, apparently Professor Scott was on his way to the headmaster's office, and he said to Madam Pomfresh that he would ask for their expulsions from Hogwarts."

Sirius blanched at those words; he couldn't feel any sympathy about the Six-Years who had cornered him and beaten him up, but expulsion was the worst thing his eleven-year-old mind could conceive as a punishment. It meant a wand-breaking in front of other classmates, interdiction to enrol in another school of magic and a record at the Ministry in London, thus preventing the culprit to find a good job. Rehabilitation was very rare, given only in outstanding proofs of redemption.

"Hey, don't get yourself worked up, Sirius!" added Remus in a hurry. "It doesn't mean it will happen, since Professor Nitric would fight tooth and nail to protect his House's reputation."

"I wouldn't mind seeing those four cowards expelled," said James sombrely. "I don't think they would look so Pureblood-superior in the Hogwarts Express, sent back to their parents with their broken wands."

"James!" exclaimed Lupin. "Don't you think that's a bit harsh?"

"It isn't a matter of harshness, Remy; it's a matter of justice! Four sixteen-years-old corner a First-Year; they beat the crap out of him before trying to drown him in a fountain! Sirius could have suffocated to death, or he could have gotten permanent brain lesions, and they should get away with it? They had planned an aggression in cold blood; not to forget the one who had cast an Unforgivable Spell at me! According to Professor Scott, he should be put on trial. I love playing pranks, but it would never cross my mind to ambush a kid who hasn't done any wrongs. There is a big difference between making a joke and deliberately endangering someone!"

Sirius nodded at James' words, remembering too well the fear he had felt after the four teenagers had grabbed his arms and legs to dunk him in the fountain. It hadn't been a case of a bullying going too far: those boys had truly wanted to hurt him, simply because he had the personality to be sorted in the Gryffindor House.

But the young Black was also aware that whatever would be his aggressors' punishment, he'd be blamed for it by Professor Nitric, who also happened to be Head of Slytherin House and Potions Master. And their first lesson with that teacher was scheduled for tomorrow morning… oh, brother!

"I might as well forget about getting good grades at Potions," said Sirius morosely. "Professor Nitric will fail me for being a Gryffindor and getting into a fight with his four students. He looked at me in disgust after I've been sorted – don't think I haven't noticed it! With Professor Demeter already resenting me because her brother has fallen victim of You-know-who followers, I'll end up at the bottom of the class."

"Dumbledore would never allow it!" said Remus vehemently. "You're the victim here, Siri, not the troublemaker. And I am sure Professor Demeter will change her opinion about you, especially after she hears about you being attacked because you're a so-called "blood traitor". As for Nitric, he'd better walk a straight line; otherwise he'll be jailed just like Professor Scott's predecessor!"

A silence followed the brown-haired boy's words, and then the door opened and Madam Pomfresh came forwards. Her apple-like face lightened in joy when she spotted Sirius sitting on the edge of his bed, calmly talking with his classmates.

"Ah, Mister Black! I'm glad to see you've awakened. Let me check on you and then you'll be allowed to go to the Great Hall for diner."

* * *

_At the Great Hall…_

Sirius had taken a seat at the Gryffindor table, doing his best to keep a calm attitude. Apparently, news about an attack in the garden had spread across Hogwarts like wildfire. Boys and girls were whispering amongst themselves, horrified by this sudden outburst of violence within the school walls, and some of them were looking with insistence at the young Gryffindor's bruises. Sirius was eating silently his dinner, wishing for the thousandth time that this interminable day would end. In the safety of his dorm, tucked in his bed, he would finally find oblivion in sleep.

At least, this day had produced something good, smiled the Black heir inwardly. He had made friends with James Potter and Remus Lupin, who seemed very determined to protect their new comrade. Remus Lupin was sitting on Sirius' right side, checking every two minutes if he had enough food in his plate. Somehow, the book-addict had been convinced his friend would recover more quickly if his stomach was stuffed with food. James was seated in front of Sirius and he was casting glares at the very few Slytherins who were snickering too loudly about "the bashed whelp" – but most students of the snake House kept their eyes downcast, looking ashamed of their fellow scholars' attitude. Lucius Malfoy was uncharacteristically silent; in fact he was darting nervous glares in every direction, acting like a cornered man with a heavy conscience.

At the teachers' table, there were four empty chairs: Dumbledore's, McGonagall's, Scott's and Nitric's. The other professors were eating without enthusiasm the delicious food served in front of them, as if the day's events were looming above their heads like a cloud of doom.

Sirius was starting to become ill at ease from the whole situation, but then he felt a hand on his shoulder and his heart slammed against his throat: it was Mary McDonald, with her friend Lily Evans!

"Sirius, are you all right?" asked Mary. "Lily and I went to the owlery during Study Period to send some letters and we have just heard about some Slytherins attacking you in the garden… Oh my God, your poor face! Are you hurting?"

The young Black's features were indeed red, but this time it wasn't due to his bruises!

"N-Not at all, Mary! I mean… Yes, it did hurt a little but Madam Pomfresh fixed me and I should be okay in a day or so. I-It was nothing, really."

"Nothing?!" protested Mary, her brown eyes shining in anger. She took her wand from her cloak's pocket in a flash, like a Far West gunslinger drawing out his weapon. "These brutes beat you up! Bunch of cowards! Tell me their names, Sirius, and I'll hex them until they'd grow pustules so they'll look like giant toads!"

"Good girl!" said Remus Lupin. "But you don't have to do it, Mary: Professor McGonagall had made it clear they wouldn't go unpunished and whatever she has in store for them, it won't be good!"

Remus' declaration seemed to have calmed Mary, who put back her wand inside her cloak. The boys made room on the benches so their two friends could eat their dinner with them. Lily seated nearby James, Mary settled down at Sirius' left side and the young boy definitively felt better. He was surrounded by friends, people who genuinely cared about him and he had received more affection in one day than during his whole childhood at the Black Manor!

The back door of the Great Hall opened and Professor Dumbledore came in, looking as if he had aged ten years in one afternoon. Professor McGonagall was right behind him, her severe face set in stone and her head held up high like a queen. Barisan Scott was next, followed by the Potions Master who was looking venomously at the DADA teacher's back. Then Robert Wilkinson, Damian Symes, Henry McIntosh and Parker Hill entered as well, their heads low and their shoulders slumped. Hagrid, Hogwarts' giant-sized gamekeeper, brought up the rear and he slammed the door behind him, making all the dining students jump in fright and the conversations ended abruptly.

The professors seated on their designed chairs. The four Slytherins remained rooted in front of the teachers' table, acting like First-Years waiting to be sorted. Only Albus Dumbledore remained on his feet, looking undecided about speaking out loud or not. But one cold glare from McGonagall quickly decided the headmaster, and he started his speech:

"My dear children, a very grave incident happened this afternoon. Messrs Damian Symes, Robert Wilkinson, Henry McIntosh and Parker Hill," said Dumbledore while waving in the direction of the culprits, "have attacked Mr. Sirius Black, a Gryffindor First-Year, in the garden next to the Astronomy Tower; they beat him up and tried to drown him in a fountain. Only Professor Scott's intervention had stopped them from inflicting further injuries to their victim."

A shudder of horror passed through the seated children and teenagers, and eyes turned towards the young Black: the bruises on his face were a silent testimony of the blows he had received! Adding two and two together, a lot of them darted venomous glares at the guilty party – the angriest were Natasha Sampson and Albert Morris, the Gryffindor Prefects. Sirius wanted to protest, to stand up and say his new friends had also saved him, but a quick pressure on his hand prevented him to do so: Remus was silently telling him to be quiet.

"These four Slytherin Six-Years had tried to explain their action by pretending they were only joking. Unfortunately, information coming from reliable sources has proven otherwise: without the shadow of a doubt, these boys have attacked an eleven-year-old because he is, according to them, a "blood traitor". As headmaster of Hogwarts, I can't tolerate this kind of behaviour within my school. It is my responsibility that every student should be allowed to live in peace, without fearing aggressions because of his or her background. I want this castle to be an isolated place from the war brewing in our world, to allow you to grow up in a safe atmosphere."

Sirius thought it was too late for that already; at their first breakfast, Mary had mentioned her sister Margaret, who had finished her studies the year before, and how she had told her younger sibling about the heated arguments raging inside the classrooms. So quarrels about blood-pureness had already polluted the castle; too bad the headmaster hadn't noticed it before!

"What worse is, during the fight in the garden, Mr. Symes has casted an Unforgivable Spell at Mr. James Potter, another First-Year Gryffindor student: it was a _Crucio_, the pain-bringing one. Lessons about Unforgivables are given during the Fifth Year. Mr. Symes is a Six-Year, meaning he knows all about those spells and the consequences of their uses. This first-rate felony has been witnessed by Professor Scott, who happens to be an ex-Auror."

The seated boys and girls looked in awe at the red-haired DADA teacher, who seemed to scrutinize every face turned at him. Symes had his eyes riveted on the Great Hall's floor, trembling from head to toes. He looked like he would fall apart any minute and James Potter was disgusted by the teenager's attitude: it was a far cry from the overconfident brute who had casted a _Crucio_ spell at him!

"The penalty for using an Unforgivable spell is a life sentence to Azkaban, the wizards' prison guarded by Dementors," pursued Dumbledore. "Due to Mr. Symes' young age, I've convinced Professor Scott to not call in his former colleagues. Mr. Symes doesn't have to fear a trial and a subsequent imprisonment…"

The boy's face brightened and he looked up with a nasty smile on his face: Dumbledore the old fool hadn't dared to call the Aurors, fearing a scandal that would tarnish the reputation of his school. Maybe he would get out scot-free of this mess, after all!

"However, the actions of this student and his comrades can't go unpunished. Consequently, for deliberately casting an Unforgivable spell, Mr. Damian Symes is expelled from Hogwarts, effective immediately!"

Dumbledore took out Symes' wand from one of his robes' pocket, and held it high for all the seated boys and girls to see. Then he gripped it with both hands and snapped the wand in half. The wood broke in an explosion of wood shards and multi-coloured sparks before the headmaster let the remnants fall on the floor.

Horrified, Symes yelled "NOOOOOOO!" before busting out crying. He kneeled to pick up the broken halves of his wand from the floor's tiles, unable to believe what had just happened. Then he turned his watery eyes towards Professor Nitric, who averted his gaze with a disdained snarl.

"It's too late for regrets and tears, Mr. Symes," said Professor McGonagall. "You have transgressed Hogwarts' rules and you've got no one to blame for it but yourself. Just remember you are expelled for casting a forbidden spell, and **not** for your Pureblood ideas – so don't start playing the ideology martyr. And don't pretext your parents' influence to justify your foul actions: there are youngsters here who have the courage to believe in goodness, in spite of their families' pressure!"

All heads turned towards Sirius again, and his gray eyes shone with pride. James Potter turned around and said: "So there!" in the direction of Lucius Malfoy, whose livid features reddened in anger. It was making a nice colouring contrast with his blonde hair, though!

"Mr. Symes will collect his belongings and then he will be escorted to the train station by Rubeus Hagrid," pursued Dumbledore. "Mr. Symes will spend the night at the station, and he will take the train for London first thing in the morning. A message will be sent to his parents so they'll pick him up at King Cross' Station. As for Messrs Wilkinson, McIntosh and Hill, their bullying has cost Slytherin three hundred points each. Their wands are confiscated until the end of the school year, and they will serve detentions every weekend. If they ever try to attack another student again, they will be expelled as well!"

Damian Symes was howling now, clutching at the fragments of his wand, but his three acolytes never moved a muscle to comfort him: they were only concerned about themselves and if their former friend had been dumb enough to be caught on the act of casting an Unforgivable curse, then he wasn't a valuable member of their cause and they'd be better off without him!

But their aggression towards Sirius had cost Wilkinson, McIntosh and Hill dearly: Slytherin was nine hundred points late from the others houses on the first day of school! How such a handicap could be ever overcome? It meant no shiny House Cup in Professor Nitric's office on June 30th. No doubts their classmates would also give them a piece of their minds about wrecking Slytherin's chances. And their wands, locked up in Dumbledore's office for almost ten months! They would fail at least three classes for sure, since wands were indispensable for Charms, DADA and Transfiguration. And on top of everything, they'd have detentions every weekend! How in the world would they find the time to study? They might as well say good-bye to Quiddich matches' attendance and trips to the Hogsmead village.

Hagrid, the Keeper of the Keys, had a sad expression on his face while watching the crying teenager, as if this display of emotions was reminding him of a bad memory. Finally, the huge man came forward and put a reassuring hand on the thin shoulder, but Symes slapped it away in rage. Then he got on his feet and showed his fist to Dumbledore:

"You'll pay for this, you crackpot old fool! The Dark Lord will triumph! He will burn your precious school to the ground! I will kill every one last of Muggle-borns and blood-traitors you're trying to protect! You'll beg on your knees for my mercy, you lice-infested grey beard!"

Hagrid grabbed Symes by the shoulder again, but this time his touch wasn't friendly but murderous! He certainly didn't look like the amiable giant who had lead the shy First-Years to Hogwarts just the night before, making sure none of them would get lost on the way.

"Never insult Albus Dumbledore in front of me, understand?" growled Hagrid, his dark eyes shining below his bushy eyebrows, and the sound of Symes' chattering teeth could be heard from the other side of the Great Hall. With an iron-like grip on the teenager, Hagrid headed for the door and they both left the room with a thunderous bang; the massive wood panels almost fell from their hinges under the impact!

A deafening silence followed Symes' less-than-dignified exit. The students remained stunned, as if they couldn't believe they had just witnessed the ex-Slytherin's expulsion and his subsequent threats towards the headmaster. What worse could happen now? But after a few minutes, it became obvious the trouble was over. Dumbledore motioned to Wilkinson, Parker and Hill and the three boys seated at their tables, trying to ignore the angry glares from their fellow Slytherins. Professor McGonagall tucked her wand back inside her emerald-coloured robes: she had discreetly drawn it out in case the expelled student would try to throw a punch at Dumbledore.

Lucius Malfoy's face had turned from deep red to a shade of green, and he looked like he was ready to hide under the diner table to avoid being denounced by his partners-in-crime. The fact that Severus Snape was quietly snickering didn't help to soothe his worries. Would his idiotic goons Crabbe and Goyle still accept to testify in his favour, if they were interrogated by Professor Scott? They were supposed to say Malfoy had been with them the whole time of Sirius' aggression, but lies wouldn't last long in front of an ex-Auror. Or maybe Wilkinson, Hill and McIntosh would rat him out, to get a lenient punishment from Dumbledore! Malfoy silently vowed that if he got out of this mess without consequences, he would renounce to all his conspiracies… for the moment.

Sirius felt troubled by the headmaster's decision. He remembered Symes casting a _Crucio_ spell at James with a cruel expression on his face, so there were no doubts in his mind the former Slytherin had done it deliberately to harm his friend in the most intense, painful way possible. People hit by _Crucio _could suffer for weeks, even months in case of repeated castings, and it was rumoured that some wizards and witches had ended up as permanent wards of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, their minds destroyed by the excruciating pain. But at the same time, Sirius couldn't help but feel sorry for Symes, who had preferred to follow an ideology incensing brutality and cowardice instead of trying to open his mind…

The rest of the dinner was quiet, but the young Black had suddenly lost all his appetite. He pushed away his dish and sighed, longing for his bed and for some peace. All his friends heard his anguish but they didn't press on, silently understanding Sirius didn't feel like talking for the moment. James Potter opened his mouth to speak nonetheless, in spite of a shushing gesture and a severe frown from Lily Evans dissuaded him to do so. The red-haired girl didn't seem to appreciate the bespectacled boy's brashness!

"Serves him right!" said James Potter. "He has seen it coming."

"Oh, be quiet!" snapped Lily Evans. "Expulsion can happen to anyone of us if we don't behave, including you!"

"Oh, yeah? Well, since I'd never cast an Unforgivable Spell against another kid, I don't think I have to fear about being expelled!"

"You're so arrogant!" growled Lily.

"Arrogant? Let me inform you that Symes has aimed the _Crucio_ spell at me. It missed only by an inch, simply because I ducked it with a somersault at the last second. In case you need documentation, you can go to the garden nearby the Astronomy Tower and take a look at the damaged fountain: the _Crucio_ spell has blown the lower basin to pieces. Or maybe you'd have preferred those damages to be inflicted on me, little Miss-I-know-better-than-everyone-else-because-I'm-pretty?"

"Don't be absurd! And I forbid you to call me like this!"

"Why, are you going to say you're not pretty?" said James with a wink, making Lily blush in embarrassment. Remus saved the situation by asking his friend to be quiet, since he was kind of loud and the Great Hall was still under the shock of Damian Symes' expulsion.

Sirius brushed his hand against Mary's and mouthed the word _"Pretty" _to the brown-haired girl, who smiled at him in return. Her smiles were definitively a good medicine against bruises!

* * *

_In the Gryffindor's common room…_

"Black?" asked a deep voice.

The young boy jumped on his seat, suddenly remembering where he was. He was curled up in one of the cushioned armchairs, his gray eyes staring at the roaring fire in the inner hearth. For the past twenty minutes, Sirius had been playing in his mind over and over again the day's events: the classes, Scott's lecture, Demeter's reaction towards him, Le Verrier praising his first name, the attack in the garden and the birth of his friendship with James and Remus but, mainly, Symes' expulsion of Hogwarts, followed by the tears and the threats of the teenager. No matter how often he thought about it, Sirius couldn't help but having mixed feelings about Dumbledore's decision.

After dinner, all the First-Years had went to their common rooms and his classmates had been extra nice to him: true to his word, Remus had written his hundred lines in his stead – using a quill which was enchanted to imitate any other person's handwriting, apart from signatures. Meanwhile, Sirius had finished all the homework he would have done during Study Period if not for the aggression. His summer reading had helped once again, so thankfully he wouldn't start the year by falling behind his studies. His fellow Gryffindor had taken care to not talk too loudly; some of them had even shook his hand and promised they would help if other Slytherins wanted to bother him again. Peter Pettigrew, the nervous kid, had kept a prudent silence all evening – but he seemed impressed by the bruises marking Sirius' face.

Mary McDonald and Lily Evans had retired to the girls' dormitory sometime earlier; James had proposed Lily a game of wizard's chess as a peace offering, but she had politely declined – obviously, the girl didn't have a high opinion of Potter. Mary had smiled at Sirius before leaving for bed, making the young boy blush deeply behind the pages of his Charms book.

After his studying, Sirius had wanted to seat in front of the chimney "just for a minute", and then he had lost himself in his thoughts. The grandfather's clock ticking in a corner of the common room was indicating 8:45 p.m. James and Remus were nowhere in sight; in fact the only persons present were Albert Norris and Natasha Sampson, who were looking at Sirius attentively.

"It's almost time for bed, mate," said Albert.

"Oh, sorry! I wasn't paying attention to the time." The young Black made the movement to spring out of his armchair but Natasha stopped him with a question:

"Sirius, what is bothering you?"

The boy's first reaction, dictated by years of harsh questioning from his inquisitional parents, would have been to deny he had been thinking and to flee in the direction of his bed. But then, Sirius reminded himself that he wasn't in the Black Manor any longer: he was in Hogwarts and his parents' censorship didn't have any authority in this place of freedom. Besides, he was a Gryffindor and he had the courage of a lion… or so he hoped.

"How do you know I'm bothered by something?" asked Sirius in a quiet voice.

"You've been staring at the flames for the past twenty minutes, mate!" chuckled Albert. "All your classmates went to bed, and you haven't even noticed their departure. It didn't take a genius to understand you were deep in thought!"

"I'm bothered by Damian Symes' expulsion," confessed the young boy with a sigh. "I know he attacked me on purpose and he casted an Unforgivable spell at James, but I cannot help but feel sorry for him. He'll never get his diploma of wizardry and he'll end up grasping at menial jobs to survive… if he isn't arrested by the Aurors first. He has blown away his whole future at sixteen years old!"

"Sirius, Damian Symes is sole responsible for what happened to him today," said Natasha firmly. "This isn't the first time he has been bullying students – in fact, ever since I've started my schooling at Hogwarts, I've heard about him ridiculing Muggle-born children in public because of their families, calling them weaklings, Mudbloods, and how they should be sent back to London in vermin-infested train wagons. One of his favourite victims, a Ravenclaw named Barnaby Jones, left Hogwarts in the middle of his third year: he couldn't stand the harassment about his parents being "blood traitors" any longer. Jones had given up his studies of magic, simply because of Symes! One year ago, he and his friends switched from slandering to fighting, and many kids went to see Madam Pomfresh with blackened eyes, bleeding noses and twisted arms – all this under the benevolent eye of Professor Rodent, of course. But none of the victims dared to denounce the vile actions of Symes, Wilkinson, McIntosh and Hill, out of fear of retaliations."

"Only you and your friends had the courage to fight back and to make a stand in front of the headmaster, mate," added Albert. "Dumbledore may be a good teacher, but he is too lenient towards wrongdoers and he always finds them excuses. Frankly, sometimes I think he'd rather see the victims blamed than the guilty party punished! Unfortunately this time, Professor McGonagall step up for you, and she was backed by Professor Scott. You see, Barnaby Jones was one of McGonagall's best pupils in Transfiguration, and she took it very hard when that boy left Hogwarts, never to come back. That's why she couldn't forgive the fact you were attacked for "blood treason". The Sorting Hat put you in Gryffindor and no one can contest its decisions; Symes should have known better!"

"But… I could have become like him!" said Sirius in a forlorn voice. "My parents have drilled my mind since infancy with speeches about blood purity, absence of bastardry, and how You-know-who is the herald of a new world where only his followers would be allowed to live. Symes' parents probably did the same to him and he never had the chance to see they were wrong!"

"You're mistaken, mate. Firstly, you are the living proof that children are not doomed to be the carbon copy of their parents; you have the courage to fight for what is right, even though you know it will cost you punishments, Howlers, and scorn from the persons who are supposed to love and protect you. Hard combats for a little boy and yet, you have never given up. Secondly, Symes had all the chances of the world to open his mind in Hogwarts. Teachers here must remain impartial; none of them are allowed to favour a student out of a so-called superiority given by blood – even though Nitric would jump on the occasion at the first opportunity to do so, but he's scared of Dumbledore. We get grades according to our work and behaviour, not to our backgrounds and that alone should have make Symes think twice. And thirdly, I can't number the times we had to write essays about great deeds done by famous wizards and witches, and it never mattered if they were Muggle-borns or not!"

"What matters are not where we came from, but what we want to accomplish in our lives," said Natasha. "You have decided to defend your integrity and honesty; Symes has decided to bully children who didn't match his standards. That is why you would never have become like him, because you have honour deeply rooted in your heart and no one can steal this away from you. You are a knight, Sirius Black, and not an evil-minded minion."

Sirius hugged the Gryffindor Prefect, and the teenaged girl clasped the young boy in her arms as well. After such a trying first day, Natasha's kindness had soothed all his worries and Sirius felt stronger. His gray eyes shone in the darkening common room and his bruises were already starting to fade, erasing the hardships he had faced and won with his courage and the help of his friends.

Albert ruffled the boy's jet-black hair, and Natasha gently ended the hug. Sirius definitively added the teenaged girl to his list of friends!

"Now, how about heading of bed, mate? You're dead on your feet," said Albert, and the young Gryffindor nodded sleepily. He stood up, thanked Albert and Natasha for their comforting words, and headed for the stairs leading to the boys' dormitory. But just before he climbed the first steps, he heard Natasha quietly saying:

"He's a good kid, isn't he?"

"Black? The best," answered Albert.

Sirius went to bed with a huge smile on his face!

TBC...


	7. The letter and the oath

**Disclaimer**: I am not J.K. Rowling. If I were, I wouldn't have made the mistake of killing Sirius Black or any other character of the Harry Potter universe!

**Author's notes:**

- Hello! Sorry it took me long to update, but RL got in the way… in the form of a new job. Enjoy the chapter!

- The oath is inspired by William Shakespeare's _"Hamlet"_, Act 1 Scene 5, where Horatio and Marcellus swear upon Hamlet's sword that they won't tell anything about the Prince of Denmark talking to his father's ghost.

* * *

**Chapter ****7: the letter and the oath**

After his conversation with Natasha and Albert, Sirius had gone upstairs to the dormitory get ready for bed. He had brushed his teeth but gave up about washing his face, since the bruises were too painful to the touch. Then, he had quickly changed into his sleepwear and he was so exhausted by the day's events he had almost forgotten to say good-night to his dorm mates. But James and Remus had just shrugged it off, saying they understood his state of tiredness, and Sirius had gone to bed certain that his prayers for real friendships had finally been answered.

The young Black had fallen asleep as soon as his head had touched the pillow, and when the magically-activated bell rang the next morning he jumped in fright! Only after his heart had calmed down did he managed to detangle himself from the sheets and covers, run to the bathroom for a shower and a scrubbing – the bruises on his face had disappeared during the night, true to Madam Pomfresh's prediction – and he was on the middle of combing his dark hair in place when a dishevelled James had burst into the huge bathroom.

"Siri, mate! Hurry up or we'll miss breakfast, and I'm starving!"

"Just a minute, James! I'm almost finished… By the way, do you want to borrow my comb?"

"No, why?" asked the Potter boy, looking genuinely puzzled by the question.

Sirius started to laugh: "Why? Because your hair is a mess! It looks like you have just survived an explosion after an experiment went wrong in DADA class!"

"Oh, that!" said James while rolling his eyes towards the ceiling. "You'd better get used to it: I am the proud heir of the Potter trademark hair! All the males in my family are sworn enemies of combs, brushes and barber shops. Trying to discipline our strands is a complete waste of time, so what's the use?"

"Well," answered Sirius with a knowing smile, "Improving your looks may help you to make peace with Lily!"

The light in James' blue eyes dimmed suddenly, and he said with an angry sigh: "No, mate, it wouldn't help. I spotted Evans just before she was leaving the common room with McDonald, and I overheard her saying she liked her Slytherin pal a lot – the greasy-haired kid who scowls at everyone all the time. That bloke is called Severus Snape, can you imagine? You'd think a guy with such a grumpy-sounding name would compensate by being extra cheerful! Anyway, Lily also said she would try to see him as often as possible, and she was happy we have shared classes with the reptiles today so she'd see him. How can she talk to that guy after what those Slytherin gits did to you yesterday?"

Sirius blushed, feeling suddenly ill at ease. He felt absolutely no sympathies for Slytherin, especially after hearing his parents singing its praises for years, but he hadn't forgotten his conversation with Mary the day before and how the brown-eyed girl had gently reminded him there was good people everywhere, including in the snake house.

"Well, maybe that guy is better than the others," said Sirius. "I mean, there's a chance he might be, if Lily appreciates him!"

"Dream on!" grumbled James between his teeth, looking suddenly so furious that the young Black thought it was better to let the matter drop. He grabbed his toiletries before returning to his dormitory where he quickly got dressed, grabbed his school bag and rushed downstairs with James and Remus to have a great breakfast.

They quickly reached the Great Hall and sat in front of an abundance of food. The room was crowded and noisy like the day before and, at first glance, everything seemed normal: the teachers were talking between themselves, the students were pushing the warm food in their mouths with much enthusiasm and the various ghosts were aimlessly drifting around the place, exchanging old stories and anecdotes. There were no remaining signs of the drama which had happened the previous evening: the wooden shards from Symes' broken wand had been thoroughly swept and the Great Hall floor's tiles were immaculate.

But the young Black couldn't help but notice that Robert Wilkinson, Henry McIntosh and Parker Hill were seated apart at the right side of Slytherin table, munching morosely on their porridge, and… they were sporting fresh bruises on their faces! Wilkinson's left eye was blackened, McIntosh's nostrils were filled with cotton and Hill's bottom lip had been split, making it hard for him to eat. Obviously, some of their classmates hadn't been pleased with them making their house loose nine hundred points on the first day of school, and some fist-flying had occurred last night in the Slytherin's common room.

James had a hard time containing his laughter at this sight: "Boy! Talk about poetic justice!"

"What do you mean, Jamie?" asked Remus.

"Well, obviously Wilkinson, McIntosh and Hill have received a taste of their own medicine… and from their esteemed colleagues! I guess you were right, Siri, there **are** actually some good guys in Slytherin!"

Remus Lupin glanced around, and he could see the three aggressors were indeed ostracized by their classmates. He also noticed that Lucius Malfoy, looking green and seated at the opposite side of the Slytherin table, was trying to hide between the large frames of Victor Crabbe and George Goyle, not daring to lift his eyes from his plate of bacon and eggs. But Snape was deliberately ignoring the Gryffindor's table, much to Lily Evans' chagrin; she seemed distressed by her pal's attitude and Mary's words of comfort didn't seem to help.

Sirius felt sorry for the red-haired girl: at eleven years old of age, he already had his share of people turning their backs on him after he had dared to voice out loud his opinions about You-know-who's doctrines. Sighing, he dug out his timetable from his school bag to check what kind of lectures they would have during the day:

TUESDAY

9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

**Potions**

Pr. I. Nitric, the Dungeons, cell no. 33 (class held with Slytherin students)

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

**Transfiguration**

Pr. M. McGonagall, classroom 2-5 EW

12:00 p.m. – 01:00 p.m.

**Lunch**

Great Hall

01:00 p.m. – 02:15 p.m.

**History of Magic**

Pr. C. Binns, classroom 3-4. EW (class held with Hufflepuff students)

02:30 p.m. – 03:45 p.m.

**DADA**

Pr. B. Scott, classroom 2-2 WW

"Oh, great," grumbled Sirius. "A Potions class with Nitric and the Slytherins, that's a nice way to start the day. I'd better take an extra breakfast to stomach the punishments Nitric has in store for me!"

"As I've told you yesterday, mate: no matter what he'll say or do, Remy and I will be right behind you, backing you up!" said James.

"Potter!" exclaimed Lily, looking horrified. "You are planning to hex Professor Nitric, aren't you? Yes, you are! That's just the kind of imbecilic action we can expect from you! Oh, of all the stupid things…"

"Lily, I don't think that James would…" started Mary McDonald, but the young Potter interrupted her.

"Calm down, Evans! Use your head for other purpose than growing hair on it! I've never said I would use my wand against one of Hogwarts' teachers; I'm not a mindless jerk like Damian Symes. I've just said I will support Sirius through thick and thin, out of solidarity a Gryffindor should show to another fellow Gryffindor. Professor McGonagall herself told Remy and I at the Hospital Wing that we showed the true spirit of our house during the garden incident. You'd better remember it instead of trying to befriend idiots, like your greasy-haired pal who has been giving you the cold shoulder since this morning!"

Lily's face turned as red as her hair!

"I'm free to do whatever I want!" said the girl while banging her fist on the table, making the plates and the silverware jump on the polished wood. "Severus is a nice guy. He… He probably has a good reason to not speak to me right now, but I'm sure he will give me an explanation later on. Besides, it would never cross my mind to befriend you, Potter!"

"If he were a true pal, he would speak with you no matter what!" retorted James. "But he's too scared of getting in trouble with Pureblood-fanatics Slytherins, like being caught on the act of talking to a Muggle-born Gryffindor girl. It doesn't take a genius to see that Snape is only concerned about his own safety!"

"You're an arrogant fool!" yelled Lily.

"Oh, yeah? Well at least, I associate myself with the right people – the ones who have the courage of their opinions," said the wild-haired boy, placing his hand on Sirius' shoulder. "It would never cross my mind to be nice with cowards like your slithering pal!"

Lily Evans looked like she was going to strangle James Potter, but then she just grabbed her glass of orange juice and threw its contents at his face. He barely had the time to realize what had happened before the young girl stormed out of the Great Hall, her book bag in one hand and looking absolutely furious.

Some of the Gryffindor students laughed after James took off his orange-saturated glasses, leaving two clean round spots around his eyes: it made him looked like an owl! Remus quickly provided a napkin so his dorm mate could hastily mop his face, but the fruit juice was dripping down from his throat to his shirt, tie and sweater, leaving some orange strains on the cotton and wool garments.

"Great! Nice shot, Evans! I owe her one!" grumbled James while trying to sponge the excesses of liquid off his Hogwarts uniform.

"You went too far, Potter," said Mary McDonald reproachfully. "You really shouldn't have talked to Lily like this."

"Is it my fault if she has a "goody-goody" attitude?"

"Lily doesn't have the same background as you have! She had no knowledge about her magic powers until recently until she received the acceptance letter, and then her whole world was turned upside down. Can you try to put yourself in the shoes of a Muggle-born girl, suddenly learning that she is a witch and she would attend a magic boarding school in Scotland, miles away from her home? That was already panicky for Lily, but the worse was to come: her sister Petunia went ballistic! If witch-hunters still lived, she would have denounced Lily on the spot – heck, she would have lit the bonfire herself! Well, in all this turmoil, Lily found support in Severus: he reassured her about her powers, told all about our world and she took the train on August 31st knowing that, at least, she had a familiar face to turn to in Hogwarts."

"I can understand the fears of a Muggle-born being tossed into the magic world, McDonald!" said James, throwing away the soaked napkin. "For your information, I'm not an idiot. All I'm saying is, Lily has obviously chosen the wrong guy for a pal!"

"And who would be a good friend for Lily? You?" asked Mary.

"Why not?"

Mary, Sirius and Remus exchanged looks, and then the three kids busted in laughter.

"You're jealous of Snape, James!" said Sirius.

"I am not jealous of that greasy-haired…!" denied the young Potter, his features reddening like a tomato.

"Yes, you are!" said Remus in a sing-song voice. "It's because you **like** Lily! And there's nothing wrong with this: she's pretty, full of fire and she has a good aim!"

"But you won't go very far if you keep on criticizing Severus!" added Mary.

The bespectacled boy snorted like a maddened bull getting ready to attack a Spanish _torero_ in an arena, and then he started laughing as well. Within minutes, the four of them were making a joyful racket while their fellow Gryffindor were staring at them with rounded eyes. Peter Pettigrew looked completely dumbfounded, as if he couldn't imagine an argument and a glass full of orange juice thrown at a face could create a funny situation. Finally, it took a loud _**"Ahem"**_ from Professor Dumbledore, seated at the teachers' table, to make the four kids calm down.

"All right, all right, I admit it! I like Lily," said James while wiping his face clean with a second napkin, this time to dry his tears of mirth. "But this hypocrite pal of hers makes me furious!"

"Don't you think you should apologize to Lily for hurting her feelings, instead of being jealous of Severus?" asked Mary.

"Oh, well, I suppose so," said the young prankster while getting up, his shirt and sweater still wet from the orange juice. "Maybe I'll get a chance to see her before Potions class starts?"

"We'll wait for you, Romeo!" said Sirius with a wink.

Remus finished cleaning up the mess left by the liquid on the table, and then he resumed on eating his breakfast, ignoring the glares coming from Lucius Malfoy and his minions, Victor Crabbe and George Goyle. Sirius growled at the direction of those Pureblood elitists, as if daring them to make a comment, but a hand brushing his made him forgets his animosities.

"Relax, Sirius!" said Mary. "It hasn't been long since you've recovered from the attack. Just ignore them for the time being, okay?"

"O-Okay," stuttered the young rebel, inwardly astonished how easily Mary could breach through his defences to make him listen to reason. That girl truly possessed magic powers!

Sirius smiled, and then the sound of fluttering wings was heard in the Great Hall: the owls delivering the mail were back. A shower of letters, parcels and newspapers fell on the eating students – some of the mail even landed in the middle of the plates - making the kids momentarily forget about their breakfasts. Sirius looked worryingly at the birds, fearing to spot Fulbert delivering him another Howler from his parents, but it was a Barn Owl – looking old and tired – which dropped a letter in his lap before flying away through the upper level window, not even stopping for a treat or a drink of water.

Remus and Mary looked apprehensively at the letter. They hadn't forgotten the scene with the Howler, either! But Sirius looked at the envelope, and frowned: it was obviously a reused one. The brown paper had green strains and it felt dusty to the touch, but it also smelt of pinewood, as if the sender had written from a forest…

"Do you think it's from your parents again, Siri?" asked James.

"No, mate. Even if they are mad at me, they would never send a letter written on cheap stationery, even if You-know-who would order them to do so. We better-than-the-others members of the most Ancient and Noble House of Black have standards to keep, you know! You may not have noticed it at the time, but my Mummy dearest wrote her latest missive on top-quality Howler paper, that's why her screaming was so loud and clear."

"So, who is it?" inquired Mary.

"I don't know… Maybe it's from my cousin Andromeda? She's the only decent one amongst my cousins…"

With a sigh, the young boy tore up the brown envelope and two pieces of paper came out of it. He looked at the signature at the bottom of one of the pages, and his eyes widened!

"It's from my uncle Alphard!"

"Who?" asked Mary, James and Remus at the same time, but Sirius was too focused on reading the letter to answer.

It read:

"_My dearest Sirius,_

_I was strolling__ around in Diagon Alley today, buying supplies for my cabin, and then I spotted Malfoy Senior coming out of Knockturn Alley with one of his acolytes. I hid under a staircase because I didn't want to speak with Malfoy, but I overheard this pair of forked tongues talking about you and your sorting in the Gryffindor House of Hogwarts, thus breaking the millennia-old Slytherin tradition of our family. According to venomous Malfoy Senior, this kind of scandal would never have happened if his Lord and Master reigned on our world._

_Sirius, I have trouble finding the words to express the pride I feel about you. I suspected your exceptional character from the day you were born, but I would never have imagined you would do your studies in Gryffindor! What a kick in the face of the You-know-who followers! You, my dear nephew, are the living proof that there are some good fruits in our rotten family tree. _

_I observed you and your brother during your stay at my cabin, three years ago. __Do you remember when we've found two abandoned baby owls in the forest? I gave you one fledging each. Regulus killed his owlet by throwing it against a tree, calling it an unworthy weakling. You took care of your bird until it was strong enough to fend off for itself. I wasn't surprised by Regulus' reaction, but your altruism astonished me! Only eight years old and you were already standing tall amongst the Black crowd! I didn't say a word during the whole incident but since then, I've prayed every day that your heart would remain intact from the insanity running amongst our family._

_You may probably don't know this, but m__y magical powers manifested themselves only two days before my eleventh birthday. My parents thought for sure I was a Squib and I earned the everlasting disdain of my siblings – talented Cygnus and harpy-like Walburga. On my arrival at Hogwarts, the Sorting Hat was very close to place me in Hufflepuff. I would have loved to study in the badger's house, but I begged for Slytherin because I didn't have the courage to go against my parents' ideology._

_**You**__ had this courage, kiddo. You turned a deaf ear to your parents' supremacist speeches, ignored their threats and warnings to follow the true callings of your heart. Orion and Walburga must have sent you a Howler screaming about how you are the shame of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black. Let me tell you this right now, Sirius: __you are the pride of our family__. Never, ever think otherwise. _

_You have renewed my hopes for a better future, where the Black name wouldn't be associated with evildoers, and my deepest wish is that some of your cousins will follow your footsteps.__ Your honesty and clairvoyance make you extraordinary, a shining light in the darkness. There are no doubts in my mind that you are the one who will pull the Black name from out of the mud._

_Being a __lion will probably bring you a lot of trouble from the Slytherins, and even distrust from some of your fellow Gryffindor. But you have the courage to face any kind of opponents. Your heart is in the right place, and you have been sorted in the right house. You will win real friends and I am ready to bet some of the Hogwarts teachers will fight tooth and nail for you – especially Pr. McGonagall, the Head of the Gryffindor House. I remember how much she hated Pureblood-elitism and kids mimicking their parents._

_About __Orion and Walburga… I will not lie to you by telling stories about how they will calm down with time. Your mother won't forgive your "treason". Can I advise you to spend Christmas and Easter vacations at Hogwarts? That way, you'd just have the summer to spend at the Black Manor. Don't think I doubt your courage for an instant: I know you have the guts to face your parents' wrath. But you are only eleven years old and your heart of gold must be protected from their bile. I will ask permission to invite you at my cabin for a few weeks during the summer. I don't know if it will be possible, knowing your parents' feelings for me, but I will try my hardest._

_Anyway, Sirius, I wanted to say I am proud to bear the Black name again… and it is all thanks to you. Study hard, my sparkling star, and rise high above the Pureblood-maniacs!_

_Your uncle,_

_Alphard"_

Sirius laid down the letter, having a hard time to comprehend the words he had just read. Alphard, of all people… The same one, who had been labelled _"An incapable"_ by his mother years ago, was congratulating him for being sorted in Gryffindor! The boy was so surprised he didn't know if he should laugh, cry or do both at the same time.

"Siri?" asked Mary McDonald once again, worry clouding her eyes. "Is there anything wrong?"

"No… No, nothing is wrong! In fact… Oh, I can't believe it, I just can't believe it! My uncle Alphard has written to say he's proud of me for being sorted in Gryffindor!"

"What? Oh, Sirius, that's great!" exclaimed Remus.

"Yes, and that's fantastic because I really didn't think he cared about me, or my whole family in general. You see, Uncle Alphard is a little… weird."

"Weird, how?" asked James, looking interested by these new developments.

"Well, from what I've overheard from my parents, he's not very talented in magic – in fact, he was thought a Squib. He's one of my mother's brothers and he did his studies at Hogwarts, in the Slytherin House but he remained at the bottom of his class. Uncle Alphard was interested only in Muggles' things like guitar playing and bird-watching, which are activities unworthy of a member of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black, as you can guess! After he graduated, he packed his things and left our Manor, never to come back. He's supposed to have travelled around the world for years and when he finally returned to England, it was to settle in an old cabin deep in the woods, without any modern comfort so he could observe the wildlife. He's what the Muggles call a… _"yippee"_?"

"A _"hippie""_, corrected Mary with a smile.

"Yes, that's how my mother called him once. According to her, they are good-for-nothing Muggles who love nature and peace, and those ideas are beyond her understanding. Once, Regulus and I went to stay at his cabin for two weeks, in the summer. I never knew what decided my mother to send us there because she despises Uncle Alphard and his way of life – I guess she wanted to give us a taste of how an almost-Squib, Muggle-loving fool lived so it would build our characters and make us become true "superior Blacks". Regulus complained the whole time about the lack of accommodations, but I loved my stay at this cabin even though Uncle Alphard didn't speak much. But afterwards, I never received any news from him and he doesn't show up at family gatherings, like Christmases or weddings."

"So, how did he learn about your sorting? Did your parents write to him?" asked the young Potter.

"My mother would rather swallow poison than send a letter to Uncle Alphard! No, he learned it by accident; he almost bumped into Malfoy's father in Diagon Alley and he overheard that arrogant prick talking about me. His son has written to him about my intervention in the Hogwarts Express, remember? Well, the little denunciator must have added an extra paragraph about me being sent to Gryffindor during the Sorting Ceremony. Which reminds me… yesterday morning, just before the DADA class I kicked Lucius Malfoy's posterior, big time!"

"You didn't?!" said Remus, his eyes as big as saucers.

"Yes, I did! For his letter, but also because he insulted you, Mary," answered Sirius, his handsome features hardening at the recollection of that fight in the boys' bathroom. "And I will do it again in a heartbeat, because no one has the right to call you names!"

James laughed out loud at the story of Malfoy's bottom being kicked like a football; Mary said nothing, but her eyes were eloquent enough: she was looking at the young Black as if he were a knight in shining armour riding a valiant steed in the middle of the Great Hall, which made him blush a deep shade of red as he recalled Natasha Sampson's words of praise. The Prefect had compared him to a medieval warrior last night, and it seemed this kind of compliment was contagious!

"Well, you must be relieved that an adult in your family is on your side," said James. "If things turn bad with your parents, you can turn to your uncle Alphard for help."

Sirius sighed, and then he tucked the letter back into the torn envelope.

"I don't know about that, Jamie. Uncle Alphard may approve of me, but he's not exactly of the fighting type. I remember him as a quiet, lonely guy in love with music, hardly the kind who can stand up against my parents. He says he'll try to convince them to let me stay at his cabin next summer, but I'm ready to bet ten Galleons they will flatly refuse. In fact, for the next seven years of my life my unloving Mum and Dad won't miss an occasion to remind me what a shame and a disgrace I am to our proud name!"

Mary, James and Remus looked at each other, feeling embarrassed and worried. The Howler's screams were still fresh in their minds and they didn't doubt Sirius would be in deep trouble as soon as he'd walked through his house's front door. The Sorting Hat's decisions were incontestable so ranting and raving was useless, but how could anyone explain that fact to Orion and Walburga Black?

"Maybe you should remain at Hogwarts during the whole school year, Sirius. I mean, if you fear your parents' reaction…"

"Yeah, that's what Uncle Alphard advises me to do in his letter. I'm not a coward," added the young Black, his grey eyes hardening at the memories of the violent beatings he had received from his father's hand each time he had dared to voice out his opinions about You-know-who, "But I cannot help but think it would be better for me to not come back home before the summer. Mummy dearest wasn't joking when she wrote in her Howler about a whipping awaiting me at Christmas."

"Sirius!" exclaimed Mary, looking scandalized. "Do you mean to say that they would…?"

Embarrassed, the boy turned his gaze towards the appetizing contents of his breakfast dish. Part of him was afraid he had said too much, but for the first time of his life he was in the company of people who genuinely cared about him, and he had been carrying the secret of Orion and Walburga's mistreatments for too many years. He felt the need to confess, to share his past with his friends because he knew they wouldn't ridicule him, unlike his disgusting cousins Bellatrix and Narcissa. He could trust James, Remus and Mary with his heart, so he whispered quietly: "Yes, they would."

A silence followed this declaration, and then Sirius lifted his eyes to see Lupin, Potter and the McDonald girl staring at him with hard eyes, a no-nonsense look on their faces and their wands drawn from under their dark cloaks. Panic seized Sirius: were they getting ready to cast a spell at him? But the next second, he called himself a fool because Mary laid her wand on the table, held her right hand above it and said:

"I swear upon my magic powers that no adult will lay a hand on you, Sirius Black, good friend and fellow Gryffindor."

James put his wand on the table so it would lie across Mary's, held his right hand and said: "I swear upon my magic powers to give Hell to your enemies, Sirius Black, good friend and fellow Gryffindor."

Remus added his own wand to the heap, covered it with the shadow of his right palm, and said: "I swear upon my magic powers to help you in any way I can, Sirius Black, good friend and fellow Gryffindor."

The young boy had a face-splitting smile after he heard those words: Mary, James and Remus had vowed to be his allies, come rain or shine! Well, he certainly couldn't remain still and mute like a statue after receiving such a tangible proof of their affection towards him. He got his wand out of under his cloak and laid it on top of the other threes before adding his:

"I swear upon my magic powers to always stand by your side Mary McDonald, James Potter and Remus Lupin, good friends and fellow Gryffindors."

The four kids looked at each other and grinned; they perfectly aware they just had committed themselves into an oath of allegiance that would bring no end of trouble, but they didn't give a care about consequences. The only thing that mattered was the absolute certainty of their little group's solidarity. They won't falter in the face of danger and no one, not even He-who-must-not-be-named, would attack one of them without earning rightful retributions. If Orion and Walburga Black wanted to whip Sirius, they would have to come through James, Mary and Remus first!

The magically-activated bell rang again, interrupting the various eating and drinking noises heard across the Great Hall.

"Time to go to Potions class, mates," said Remus Lupin with a sigh.

"Bleah… I feel sick! Do I look like a bit nauseated to you?" asked James.

"Nice try, Potter!" laughed Mary. "But you don't want to miss an occasion to speak to Lily, now, do you?"

"I guess it's better to get it over with," concluded Sirius. The four children retrieved their respective wands from the Gryffindor's table, grabbed their bags and headed for the door, not overly enthusiastic at the idea of spending more of an hour in the castle's dungeons, and in the company of Hogwarts' most acid teacher.

None of them ever noticed the envious eyes of Peter Pettigrew, who had witnessed their oath of friendship but who hadn't dared to utter a word.

TBC…


	8. Poison Master

**Disclaimer**: still the same as Chapter 1. Some things never change, do they?

**Author's notes:**

- To all my kind readers and reviewers: thank you very much!

- The definition of the kangaroo's paw comes from Wikipedia.

- The Cephalic Potion is of my own creation.

* * *

**Chapter 8: Poison Master**

The Potions class was held in Hogwarts' dungeons, located in the underground floor of the castle and the penetrating cold was making all the students shiver in spite of their school sweaters and pants made of pure wool. Sirius thought that if the dungeons were already chilly in September, the place would be a huge freezer in January and his classmates would turn into ice sculptures. A white form floated nearby and Peter Pettigrew squeaked in fear as he recognized the Bloody Baron, the mean-spirited Slytherin House's ghost. It was rumoured the phantom enjoyed biting at students who weren't of his house; but the Bloody Baron just casted a disdainful glance at the group of Gryffindor's First-Years before turning away and fly casually through a wall, as if the children were nothing to his eyes but creatures as insignificant as spiders.

And yet, the cold and the ghost were nothing compared to the feeling of dread given by the sinister walls and the tiny windows letting in very little sunlight. Someone with a little imagination could easily picture people of in chains and dressed with rags, locked up in the cells, crying and begging for a chance to prove their innocence before resigning themselves to spend the rest of their lives between four stone walls.

Sirius shuddered but this time, it wasn't because of the low temperatures; it felt as if he had received a glimpse of his future, a bad omen…

"Whatever possessed Professor Nitric to hold his classes in this part of the castle? It's freezing in here!" grumbled James, snapping Sirius out of his dark thoughts. His friend hadn't been able to find Lily Evans anywhere before reaching the dungeons, thus compromising his chances to apologize to her before class, and consequently his mood had darkened.

"Well, somehow it makes sense," answered Remus. "Ingredients used for Potions can be instable and volatile, so they have to be kept in a cool storage room to avoid an explosion."

"Blimey! The Slytherins are already here!" exclaimed Sammy Brown as they entered the classroom and saw the other First-Years were already seated. "They must have walked the way from the Great Hall to Cell 33 in record time to arrive so early."

"Actually, they didn't," said Mary. "My sister Maggie told me the Slytherins' Common Room is located in the dungeons. She also said she has tried many times to find where the entrance was because she wanted to put some sense in some of their Pureblood-focused minds, but she has never managed to find it."

"It would be nice to find the entrance of the Slytherins' Common Room," smiled James, his blue eyes shining in mischief at the thought. "Oh, the possibilities…"

"Forget it, Jamie!" interfered Remus. "You'll need to know the password to enter, just like for our Common Room and no Slytherin would accept to give it to you."

"Spoilsport," shot James back, and Sirius somehow got the feeling his friend wouldn't be stopped by something as mundane as finding out a password.

But it wasn't the time to worry about Potter getting into trouble; Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were casting dirty looks at him and he certainly didn't want a repeat of the fight in the garden. But what would he do if Malfoy and his minions would start a new aggression within the classroom? Remus sensed the young Black's unease and he whispered:

"There are some free tables on the left side of the room, mates. Let's take them before we're ordered to be partnered with the Slytherins."

The Gryffindors followed Lupin's advice and they quickly settled down; James, Sirius, Mary and Remus took seats in the back row. Lily was already seated with Severus Snape, much to James' chagrin. He tried to draw her attention but the red-haired girl deliberately ignored him.

Each table was equipped with the usual potion-making equipment: a small black cauldron standing on a portable stove, a rack of test-tubes filled with herbs, bottles containing coloured liquids and all sporting a label which was saying: _"Poison. Handle with care"_. Sirius got his notebook out from his school bag, as well as his textbook (a purple-cover one, labelled _"The fine art of Potion-making explained to ignoramuses"_ by Hemlock Phial) and he had barely the time to grab his pencils before Professor Nitric barged into the classroom.

"Silence! Open your books at page one! Not a word! Anyone who will make a disturbance in my classroom will pay a heavy price. Page one! Move it! I really wonder what I am going to do with such a bunch of half-wits!"

All the students looked at Professor Nitric with rounded eyes; they knew he wouldn't be happy with his house loosing nine hundred points for the aggression towards Sirius, they would never have imagined such a dramatic entrance from him. The Slytherins looked even more fearful than the Gryffindors!

"I am Professor Iago Nitric and I don't tolerate insolence, absenteeism and laziness. As Potions Master, it is my job to make you comprehend the beautiful art of mixing ingredients in order to create beverages of incredible power. Here in this laboratory, it will be possible to create potions to heal, to reinforce your strength, or to change your dreadful appearances. However, this isn't a place for daydreamers; some of the ingredients can be a health hazard, especially if they are not used adequately. This is why I demand perfect obedience to my orders and a full attentiveness during my lectures. And pity to the fool who would try to make a mockery of the discipline prevailing in my class!"

Most of the students looked ready to hide under the tables after hearing the diatribe – especially Lucius Malfoy, who was evaluating his chances to reach the classroom's door before the teacher's wrath would reach him. Remus looked ill at ease after Nitric had mentioned absenteeism, even if his honey-coloured eyes remained steady. James mouthed the words _"Blah blah blah" _to Sirius, who coughed lightly to mask his laughter. Mary stared at the Potions Master as if she expected him to grow fangs and horns, with a triangular-ended tail thrown in for good measure.

Professor Nitric darted furious eyes across the classroom and the young Black half-expected him to rant and rave for the next ten minutes while blaming him for Damian Symes' expulsion and the loss of nine hundred points for Slytherin; but things took an unexpected turn when the Potions Master barked:

"YOU THERE!"

"Yes, Sir?" answered a frightened Lily Evans.

"Tell me where a kangaroo's paw can be found!"

The girl seemed taken aback by the question. It was obvious she didn't have a clue of what the teacher was talking about. Lily blushed and looked at her desk as if she hoped she would find the solution written on the dark wood, but there was nothing there except a few engraved insults against Professor Nitric.

"I believe I've asked you a question, girl! So answer RIGHT NOW! Where a kangaroo's paw can be found?"

James looked absolutely furious at Nitric, while Sirius was starting to wonder if harassing First-Year students was a part of Hogwarts' traditions. Severus Snape raised his hand with a smug smile on his lips, but the Potions Master ignored him. Finally, Lily managed to say:

"O-On a kangaroo, Sir?"

""_O-On a kangaroo, Sir?"_" repeated Nitric, cruelly mimicking the shy tone of the red-haired. "Stupid girl! A fine specimen of a Gryffindor you make! Not even able to answer a simple question and you have the pretention to study magic? Or maybe you thought you'd become teacher's pet because of your looks? You should climb aboard the Hogwarts Express at once and go back to the tasteless Muggle hovel where you came from. Teaching Potions to such an idiot as you is nothing but a complete waste of my time; you are as dumb as a Half-Blood!"

Quiet snickers could be heard from Patty Parkinson and Meredith Burnstend, Slytherins who were jealous of the girl's beauty, but Lily had a hard time containing the tears in her eyes. Sirius remembered Mary telling about her friend's fears about being thrown into the magic world without previous experience, and there were no doubts Professor Nitric will enjoy making her life a living Hell in his classroom. For the Potions Master, Evans bore a triple stigma: Muggle-born, Gryffindor and pretty.

"Just stay quiet, useless birdbrain!" barked the teacher and Lily buried her face in her hands. Snape reached out as if he wanted to put his hand on the Gryffindor girl's trembling shoulders but after hearing Nitric's furious snarl, he prudently put it back on the desk – much to James' disgust.

Then, the Potions Master shouted again: "YOU THERE!"

"Yes, Sir?" answered Sirius, his handsome face calm but his eyes stormy-gray from anger. He wasn't surprised about being called on; in fact he had expected it since he had stepped foot in Cell 33. But during the teacher's violent diatribe against Lily, he had figured out that Professors Demeter and Nitric weren't on speaking grounds because of their respective opinions concerning pure-bloodiness. Meaning the Herbology teacher had certainly not told the Potions Master about what had happened the day before, after she had interrogated Sirius in the greenhouse…

"Your imbecilic classmate has utterly failed to answer a little question; then again, I expected nothing else from a Gryffindor. Since your Lordship seems very happy about being sorted in this house for dunces, you will tell me where a kangaroo's paw can be found!"

"It can be found in the south-west part of Western Australia, Sir," answered Sirius calmly. "It is the name of a flower. After its petals are powdered, mixed with beetle's eyes and viper's skin before being brewed for two hours, it makes the Cephalic Potion, a very efficient remedy against migraines."

Professor Nitric lost all color as laughter exploded inside the classroom. All the Gryffindor kids were thoroughly enjoying this _Encore_ of the young rebel ridiculing an aggressive teacher by reciting the textbook by heart. But some of the Slytherins – who hadn't seen Sirius' display of knowledge in the greenhouse the day before - also joined the mirth, and that was quite a pleasant surprise for Black! He winked at Mary McDonald and then he gave a small smile to Lily, whose spirits lifted at this sight. Malfoy and his minions seemed floored by his success. Severus Snape, however, made an outraged grimace as if he had been robbed of his turn to speak, and Sirius thought he wouldn't mind having a word with the greasy-haired kid.

"SILENCE! SILENCE!" howled Professor Nitric, banging his ruler on his desk with such violence the measuring instrument got broken in two pieces under the impact. The laughter quieted down instantly.

"What did I say about proper behavior in this classroom? Do you think my class is a comedy show, by chance? You will soon learn the true meaning of discipline, bunch of ungrateful brats! In the old days, teachers were allowed to whip the insolence out of students; even thought some soft-hearted reformists have banished this practice, I know where the whips are stored in this castle. I won't have any scruples using these taming instruments on your backs, understand? As for you, Mister Black," said the Potions Master while pointing his broken ruler at Sirius like a wand, "I am considering to take fifty points from Gryffindor for your impertinence!"

"If you call Black an impertinent because he gave you the right answer, then I'd hate to hear what you call a student who is top of the class!" said a voice in the back row.

The teacher turned his head in a snap.

"What did you say, Mister…"

"Potter, James Potter," answered the student in a bad and deliberate imitation of Great Britain's most famous fictional spy.

"And who do you think you are, Mister Potter?" yelled Professor Nitric.

"I am a student who doesn't like prejudiced teachers."

A deadly silence fell on the classroom, just interrupted by the sound of a bubbling cauldron. Lily Evans was darting furious glances at James: that idiot Potter was going to make Gryffindor House loose more points! Mary McDonald had gotten her wand from out of her cloak, ready to cast a _Flipendo_ spell at the Potions Master in case he would get any ideas about "her" Sirius. Remus Lupin, both horrified and elated, hid his face in his sweater's sleeve. Most Gryffindor students were looking at the scene with rounded eyes, but Malfoy had a quiet laugh: Potter was heading right towards trouble!

Professor Nitric was purple with rage: who dare a first-year student contest his authority in the Potions classroom, where he reigned on every living creature? But he was going to correct the situation very soon! Snarling like a rabid dog, he grabbed James' arm and hauled him on his feet.

"I'm taking you to Professor Dumbledore's office, Potter, and I will ask for your immediate expulsion from Hogwarts!"

"If you want to take this matter upon the Headmaster, I'm your man," said James, his blue eyes shining behind his rounded glasses. "He'll have fun hearing you wanted to punish Black for giving you the right answer. Just remember that Professor Dumbledore wants us all, and I quote, _"to study and grow up in a safe atmosphere."_ Well, since the beginning of your lecture I've heard nothing from you but insults towards Muggle-born and half-blood students, disparagement about the Gryffindor House and, last but not the least, praise for torture methods. And I hated the way you talked to Evans and Black. You call yourself a teacher? You should be put in charge of the salt mines!"

"Why, you little…"

James had a mocking smile: "In an explosion of accusations let by a histrion for our consideration, this demonstration proving that intimidation and aggression are a sublimation of mental alienation requires our full attention. In retaliation for our determination to achieve our education, and in spite of their prohibition, a collection of instruments of castigation ought to be used on us: what an aberration! This situation, ending with threats of expulsion in a parrot-fashion, creates tension and calls for immediate action, like a confrontation in front of the Head of our administration. There's no other solution to obtain restitution!"

Another round of laughter erupted in the classroom. Even if the students hadn't understood half the words said by the wild-haired boy, James' sarcastic and rhythmic tone had done wonders to make a mockery of the Potion Master's attitude.

Nitric looked like he would go on a murdering rampage, but James' eyes held firm and fear started to invade the teacher's brains. Obviously, this eleven-year-old boy had the guts to defend his cause in front of Dumbledore the fool, who wouldn't miss to ask the reasons why the boy had talked back. Meddlesome McGonagall, as Head of Gryffindor, would vehemently protest about one of her students being punished after learning the insults about her House. Some of the Gryffindors brats would testify to save their classmate and there was also the matter of the boy's parents. Nitric knew the blood-traitors Potters by reputation and they were not the kind to accept their son's expulsion without fighting back tooth and nail...

The teacher seethed in rage when he realized he couldn't punish the little rebel for now. After all, it hadn't been very clever of him to slander the Gryffindor House in front of a bunch of blabbermouth First-Years. The rage caused by Slytherin loosing nine hundred points had blinded him from remaining cautious at all times, especially inside Hogwarts, to avoid an inquiry. If some people, like the Aurors, ever learn the depths of his loyalty towards You-know-who...

Changing his mind, Nitric slammed James down on his seat and hissed in the wild-haired boy's face:

"Silence. Page one. Not a word. Double homework for you, Potter."

And with one last warning glance towards James and Sirius, the Potions Master banged his fist on his desk to obtain immediate silence, and then he started his lecture by writing furiously on the blackboard. The chalk in his hand snapped in two under the pressure and he threw it across the classroom, nearly hitting Sammy Brown's head before grabbing another piece and writing again.

"YOU THERE!"

"Yes, Sir?" answered a sickly-looking Lucius Malfoy.

"Tell me where a basilisk comes from!"

The rest of the lesson was spent in an atmosphere of terror, with Nitric barking his questions and students trying desperately to avoid being called on. Only Snape managed to earn praises from the teacher after he had solved an equation at the blackboard, and absolute loathing from the other children when the Slytherin boy paraded around the classroom with a condescending smile on his face.

Sirius didn't know if he should feel elated or worried about his and James' successes. The Potions Master would never admit defeat and they had long weeks of study ahead of them: the young Black knew it would be a matter of time before he would be asked a difficult question – the one he wouldn't know the answer, thus giving Nitric the chance to slander his name all over the place before taking off points from Gryffindor. Sirius made a mental note to pay extra attention in class; borrowing a book about advanced studies in Potions at the Hogwarts' library wouldn't be a bad idea, either…

Finally, the bell rang and the children rushed to the door, too happy to put some distance between them and Professor Nitric.

"Double homework, eh?" grumbled James between his teeth. "How about double trouble, dear _"Poison_ _Master_"?"

"You haven't had enough back there?" asked Remus. "Be grateful you got off with only homework to do, I thought for a moment he was going to force you to drink acid! And by the way, where did you get all those fancy words you've served to the teacher?"

"In spite of the rumours spread by some people," answered the bespectacled boy with a glance at Lily, "I am not an arrogant idiot who has never opened a book in his life. I enjoy reading as much as you do, Remy; where do you think I get all those great ideas for pranks? And my parents home-schooled me well, always encouraging me to study thoroughly. I just don't show off my knowledge at any given occasion – unlike Evan's reptile pal does!"

"Potter!" exclaimed Lily, scandalized.

"James…" started Mary McDonald, but James wouldn't let her finish.

"No, Lily, nothing you can say or do will make me change my opinion about him. I've seen right through Snape and I can tell you, he's not the kind who will stand by your side against Nitric or the Slytherin Pureblood-maniacs – no matter how much kindness and comprehension you can show him. Snape is only concerned by his navel, and he will rub your face in the mud at the first signs of danger. _"Loyalty"_ isn't his middle name, obviously."

"Y-You don't understand any-t-thing, you b-blockhead!" stuttered Lily, on the verge of crying again.

"I _**do**_ understand, Lily!" exclaimed James. "You're scared about being a Muggle-born student and somehow you got this crazy idea in your head that Snape is the only friend you'll ever make in Hogwarts, and so you have to defend him even though he's as slippery as a bar of soap. Well, I also want to be friend with you, if only you could see past this label of _"arrogant"_ you've slapped on my forehead. I am a prankster, and do you want to know why? Because laughter is the only weapon I have at my disposal to fight off bullies, may they be students or adults. When trouble comes out, some people duck for cover – that's your Snape – and some people take action – that's me. And I fail to see the wrongness in this!"

Lily opened her mouth as she wanted to reply, but finally she stormed out of the corridor, swinging her bag in such a furious manner it accidentally hit a Gryffindor boy who happened to be too close to her.

"Well, there goes a nice attempt to make peace with Lily!" sighed Remus.

"Guys, I did try to be nice with her!" protested James. "But she didn't even notice that I defended her in front of the whole class! Why doesn't she want to give me a chance? Oh, it's useless; no matter what I'll say, she won't listen because of Snape. I should forget this whole business…"

"Come on, Jamie, don't tell me you'll renounce so quickly! You don't strike me as a guy who throws the towel just because he suffered a setback," said Sirius. "She will overcome her prejudices about you, just like you did with me."

"It took me two days to become friend with you, Siri. What if it takes years before Lily accepts to see me for who I am?"

"All things come to those who wait, mate. I had to reach my eleven year before having real friends!"

TBC…


	9. Animagi

**Disclaimer**: still the same as Chapter 1.

**Author's notes:**

- The _Bikkil Augmentare _spell is of my own creation.

* * *

**Chapter ****9: Animagi**

The next scheduled class was Transfiguration, so the Gryffindor First-Years rushed to the East Wing, second floor to reach classroom number 5.

Sirius was very happy to leave the dungeons, for its gloomy ambiance had been hard on his nerves. Somehow, he wondered about the decision to have placed the Slytherins' Common Room and dormitories underground. The snake house kids would certainly feel resentful about having to live and sleep without direct access to light, while the Hufflepuffs, the Ravenclaws and the Gryffindors had their dormitories at the ground, fifth and seventh levels, respectively. The castle had enough towers and rooms to install all the dormitories upstairs, so what was the use of making the Slytherins sleep in the basement? No wonder some of them felt jealousy towards the others students, and it was stupid to let dangerous situations festering; as if Hogwarts hadn't had its atmosphere corrupted enough!

Sirius shuddered lightly at the recollection of the dungeons and the disastrous Potions lecture they just had. Professor Nitric seemed resolute to make everyone's life difficult – including for the students of his own house -, all this to regain some points for the House Cup and to save face in front of the other teachers.

"Whew! It is Transfiguration class now, with Professor McGonagall!" said Remus, looking obviously more at ease than during Potions.

"Yes, well we'd better be careful around her," said Mary. "According to my sister Maggie, McGonagall follows the Hogwarts' rulebook by the letter and she's very strict about homework. Transfiguration is one of the hardest aspects of magic and some wizards and witches never succeed in mastering it, no matter how powerful they become after their studies. There are some amazing examples…"

"Like, who?" asked James.

Mary darted a look around, and then she motioned to her friends to come closer before answering quietly: "Like Professor Scott."

"Whoa!" exclaimed James, Sirius and Remus in the same voice.

"I'm not joking! It's not something Scott brags about. But my Mum works as an archivist at the Ministry of Magic's Education Department and she accidentally found out that our DADA teacher has never achieved Transfiguration during his Hogwarts education. Sure, it hasn't stopped him from being extremely gifted in other subjects like Potions, Astronomy, DADA, Charms and so on, but he has renounced to transfigure anything because he has always failed at it."

"Well, that's reassuring!" grumbled Remus. "How in the world are we supposed to achieve something that even the DADA teacher can't do?"

"We'll just have to be more gifted than Scott, that's all. It'll be a piece of cake for a bunch of genius kids like us!" said James with a mock superior look on his face.

Much-needed laughter followed the bespectacled boy's declaration, and the group of First-Years entered classroom number 5 with their spirits cleared of Professor Nitric's awful lecture. Sirius, James and Remus took seats at the back row, as usual, while Mary joined Lily Evans at the front. Sirius took out his notebook and the Transfiguration textbook (_"Morphing"_, by Zeus Butterfly) and he noticed that Mary was talking to her friend, pointing discreetly at tight-knitted group of boys as if to prove the truthfulness of her words. But Lily just shook her head negatively, refusing to look backwards and Mary casted a sad, embarrassed look at James.

"_Well, it's nice of Mary to have tried," _thought Sirius, but before he could comfort James the door of the classroom opened and the severe-looking, emerald-robed witch stepped in. She wore a pointy hat on her head, adorned with a pheasant's feather which somehow made her look like a hunter.

"Good morning, class!"

"Good morning, Professor," answered the children.

"I am Minerva McGonagall and for the next months, I will teach you Transfiguration, which is the art of changing objects or animals into other forms. It is one of the most complex forms of magic existing on Earth, so it is vital for you to pay attention during my lectures. If someone tries to act the clown in this classroom, he or she will be expelled from it without any chances of ever coming back. You be warned."

The Transfiguration teacher then raised her wand and made a great demonstration of her abilities by changing the blackboard into an oak tree, the wastebasket in a screeching turkey bird and Julius Alexander's eraser into a parrot, much to the boy's delight. Sirius was astonished by those spectacular metamorphoses: the possibilities seemed limitless! He laughed out loud when the pencils of a student named Quentin Philips transformed into a paper fan, and all the kids spontaneously applauded when Professor McGonagall turned an ugly-looking vase into a beautiful crystal statue representing a fairy tale princess.

"Are there any questions?" asked the teacher, tucking her wand back into her cloak's pocket.

A shaky hand was raised, and Sirius was surprised to see it belonged to Peter Pettigrew, the nervous kid who usually stayed as quiet as a mouse during lessons, trying to hide behind seated students who were taller than him.

"Yes, Mister…?"

"P-P-Peter P-Pet-t-t-tigrew, P-P-Professor. I j-j-just wondered ab-bout something and I-I-I'd like to k-k-know…"

"Take your time and ask your question, Mister Pettigrew," said McGonagall, apparently being patient about the boy's stuttering.

"W-W-Well, I-I-I-I've been t-told that only P-P-Pure-blooded wizards can achieve T-Transfiguration. Is it t-true?"

The teacher's facial expressions changed from severe to terrifying in less than a second!

"And who told you that absolute rubbish?"

Pettigrew squeaked and made the movement to disappear under his desk, but one hard glance from Professor McGonagall made him remain glued on his chair. Long minutes passed before the boy could answer through shattering teeth: "My f-f-father…"

"I see. Well, he should have known better than stuffing your head with nonsense!" said the teacher with so much ice in her voice her cowering student would get frostbite. "Magic doesn't depend on blood, but from abilities that bloom under proper tutelage, work and good study habits. If you think your background will give you any kind of advantage in mastering Transfiguration, then you are absolutely wrong and I'm warning you, Mister Pettigrew, I won't stand for a single word of this disgusting Pureblood ideology inside my classroom. Is that clear?"

The brown-haired boy was trembling so hard under McGonagall's gaze he looked like he was suffering from malaria! He nodded weakly and then tried to hide behind his open textbook, but to no avail: it seems that the teacher's eyes had enough power to bore holes through the book's pages and cover.

"If looks could kill!" muttered James.

"Tough lady, that's for sure," said Remus from the corner of his mouth. "We'd better be cautious around her."

"Anyone has another question to ask… an intelligent one, this time?" asked McGonagall, and Pettigrew got red-faced in humiliation as he heard muffled laughter coming from the other students.

Sirius raised his hand.

"Yes, Mister…?"

"Sirius Black, Professor. I'd like to know if Transfiguration can work the other way around. Can humans transform themselves into objects or animals?"

This time, and under the children's incredulous eyes, McGonagall smiled!

"That's a very good question, Mister Black. It isn't possible for humans to turn into unanimated objects; but some wizards and witches can actually change into animals: they are called Animagi, and only forty of them have been officially registered at the Ministry of Magic since its creation. An Animagus has the power to transform into an animal he or she has decided to personify, so it is a combination of Transfiguration and wand-less magic. That's why becoming an Animagus is very difficult, but not impossible."

Sirius' eyes shone like flint stones at the idea of turning into an animal: the looks of horror on his parents' face after watching him change into a grizzly bear! Becoming a rhinoceros would be funny, too… Or maybe an elephant, so he would barge into the Black Manor and destroy his mother's prized artefacts, like the fabled animal inside a fine China shop. Walburga would faint on the spot at the sight of "_The shame of the family"_ wrecking the Dark Arts objects she praised so much!

Enchanted by this idea, the young boy asked: "Do you think it will be possible for us to meet an Animagus one day, Professor?"

McGonagall had another smile. That made it twice in a row, an all-time record!

"Mister Black, you are looking at one right now," and with those words, the teacher suddenly morphed into a grey-stripped cat with green eyes. A collective "OOOH!" of surprise rang across the classroom as all the students jumped out of their chairs to stare at the feline which had appeared on the floor. The cat looked at the children for a minute with unblinking eyes, and then the transformation happened again and Sirius found himself staring at Professor McGonagall back into her human form, straightening her pointy hat on her head.

"So, what do you think, Mister Black?"

"It's brilliant!" exclaimed Sirius, genuinely impressed.

"I'm glad you approve. Now, go back to your seats quietly, and open your books at page three."

The no-nonsense tone of the teacher made the kids obey at once, except for James who raised his hand as well.

"Yes?" asked McGonagall, a bit sharper this time.

"James Potter, Professor. If humans can turn into animals, does that mean werewolves are Animagi, too?"

The stern-faced witch let out a small gasp of surprise, but she quickly regained her self-control to answer:

"No, Mister Potter. An Animagus is able to turn into an animal at will. A werewolf can't control its transformation. They are subjected to the influence of the full moon, meaning their transformation occurs inevitably once a month and it hurts them a lot. In fact, werewolves are in such amount of pain they are unable to think clearly, so they often lash out at people standing nearby them. They can't recognize a friend from a foe after they've changed, unfortunately. That's why it is highly recommended to stay clear from them on full moon nights."

"They are nothing but a bunch of monsters!" exclaimed Agatha Binns. "They should be shot down like the rabid dogs they are!"

"That's a harsh statement, Miss!" said McGonagall. "It is true that some werewolves can get very embittered by fear and rejection from people of both the wizarding and the Muggle world, so they become criminals out of revenge. But the vast majority of them want to live peaceful lives, safe from threats and ostracism. One rotten apple doesn't make a whole harvest, Miss, and I hope you will refrain from having such a prejudiced attitude in the future!"

Agatha Binns didn't reply, but her eyes were eloquent enough: she wouldn't change her mind about werewolves anytime soon. Sirius suddenly heard a soft moan behind him and he turned around to see a livid Remus Lupin struggling to get on his feet.

"Remy? Are you hurting, mate?" asked James, but his friend didn't reply. Instead, he raised his hand.

"I'm Remus Lupin, Professor. May I leave the room, please?"

"Mister Lupin, you look as white as a sheet! Is there something wrong?"

"I need a drink of water… Please, may I go?"

"Yes, of course!" replied McGonagall, but she didn't have the occasion to add another word since the boy with honey-coloured eyes fled the classroom as if an army of ghosts was chasing him. A stunned silence followed Remus' departure, and then the teacher coughed loudly and started giving her lecture, acting like nothing happened.

"Gosh! Remus sure looked poorly!" said James.

"Do you think he suffers from a relapse?" asked Sirius.

"Beats me, mate. I don't know what's wrong with him and it would be rude to ask questions, but his condition must be a nasty one: at times he's dead tired, and then he looks just fine. The next thing you know, out of the blue, he takes a turn for the worse again!"

"Well, I hope he won't try to go see Madame Pomfresh alone, because he might collapse in the corridors and at this hour of the day, they are completely deserted. I doubt a student or a ghost would come here to raise the alarm!"

The two Gryffindor boys spent the next ten minutes looking anxiously at the door, wondering about their friends and silently arguing with themselves if they should ask Professor McGonagall permission to go seek their friend. But the Transfiguration teacher didn't look like the kind of person who would allow three students to leave her classroom at the same time. Finally, a soft knock was heard and Remus Lupin stepped inside, looking a bit better. McGonagall simply nodded her head to him in acknowledgment and the boy went back to his seat, next to James.

"Are you better, Remy?" asked Sirius.

"Yes, thank you. I just needed some water, that's all."

"_That's all?_" repeated James. "You looked like you were going to faint on the spot! Do you think you should go see Madame Pomfresh?"

"No, no. Don't worry, Jamie, I'm fine. Sometimes my… condition gets the best of me. But I'm okay, now. Please, keep your voices down; otherwise McGonagall will punish us for not paying attention!"

James and Sirius exchanged a look but they finally quieted, not really wanting to experiment the Transfiguration teacher's wrath on their first lesson with her: they already had their share with Nitric!

McGonagall demonstrated the _Bikkil Augmentare _spell to change a coloured glass marble into a juggling ball, and then she gave the kids a marble each and ordered them to try the metamorphosis. The students were pleased by this exercise, even though success was uneven: Lily's marble turned into a fried egg, Mary's into a glass paperweight, while Sirius became the proud owner of a yellow tennis ball. Remus' attempts changed his marble into a party balloon, which blew across the classroom with a trivial sound – much to James' hilarity. The other students faired no better, but they all accepted their failures with good humour – except for Peter Pettigrew, who failed miserably but when he started to cry, Professor McGonagall's sharp voice stopped him short when she said:

"Mister Pettigrew, if you think your crocodile tears will help you to get out of trouble, you're mistaken!"

The bell announcing a much-anticipated lunch rang and all the children jumped on their feet with the intention of stuffing their empty stomachs with food, but the teacher called out:

"Mister Black, a word with you, if you please."

Sirius thought Professor McGonagall wanted to keep him in class to talk about his punishment for his _Incendio_ demonstration the day before, so he turned to his friends: "See you at the Great Hall, mates?"

"We'll keep a seat for you!" said James, and then the flock of First-Years fled through the door, leaving Sirius alone with the severe-looking witch in the empty classroom.

The young Black rummaged through his school bag and hand out a handful of parchment pages to McGonagall: "Here are my hundred lines for casting an _Incendio_ spell in the Great Hall, Professor."

"Thank you, Mister Black, but that's not the reason why I've asked you to stay," said the teacher, putting the punishment inside one of her desk's drawers without even looking at it. "I wanted to talk to you privately; can you give me your word of honour that our conversation will not be repeated outside this classroom, not to your friends, your family or another member of Hogwarts' staff?"

Sirius' grey eyes widened in surprise: Professor McGonagall wanted to talk to him in private? And he wasn't supposed to mention their future conversation with anyone else? The young boy understood the teacher wanted to entrust him with a secret, but he thought she was giving him a lot of credit: no many people would trust the word of a member of the Black family.

"You have my word, Professor McGonagall," said Sirius firmly. He had nothing to tell to his parents and brother, anyway, and he kind of liked the idea of having a secret from his friends.

"Very well. Mister Black, I wanted to tell you this: you have managed to surprise me. Your family members have been Slytherin students for ten centuries and frankly, when the Sorting Hat announced _"Gryffindor"_ for you, I could hardly believe my ears. But I quickly understood, after the incident with your mother's Howler and the aggression in the garden, that you have been chosen for your exceptional character: honesty, courage, endurance and compassion, those qualities are definitively in you. I was worried that you might be shunned by your classmates but it seems you have managed to win some friends… Potter and Lupin?"

"That's right, Professor."

"Potter looks like a bit of a daredevil, but his heart is in the right place. I liked the way he defended you against Damian Symes, in spite of the fact that he was much younger and smaller than his opponent. Lupin is also strong and loyal in front of danger even though his… condition tends to incapacitate him. Your friend will need help in catching up with lessons and homework: he is going to be sick at times and thus, he'll miss classes. But I think he has made the right friends, since you and Potter don't seem the kind to pry when he's… under the weather. Anyway, I also noted something about you, Mister Black: you have a great talent for Transfiguration."

Sirius' eyes went huge!

"Really, Professor? I mean… You think so?"

"Yes, I do think so, Mister Black. It may have escaped your attention, but you are the only one in the class who has managed to turn a marble into a tennis ball on his first lesson – and that's very rare, believe me. Only one student has managed to do this during my whole teaching career, and he was a Ravenclaw…"

"Barnaby Jones?"

"Ah, I see you've heard about him. Yes, only Barnaby Jones has managed to succeed so early, and I really regretted he wasn't from my house. Unfortunately, some Pureblood-minded imbeciles have managed to make him renounce to his magic studies…" added the witch, her eyes flashing in anger for a second and Sirius' felt a shiver run down his spine. It was definitively unsafe to cross Professor McGonagall!

"I am not telling you all this to boost your ego, Mister Black, and don't think for a minute that I will be lenient towards you simply because you are talented. Quite the contrary, I tend to be more severe with the students of my house because I have no tolerance for laziness or skiving. But if you keep on studying hard and behave in class, you will become very good in metamorphosis and I wouldn't mind seeing the Best Student's Award in Transfiguration inside a display cabinet, in Griffyndor's tower. Now, off you go!"

Sirius thanked the teacher and walked out of the classroom, heading for the Great Hall. His mind was reeling with McGonagall's revelations… She has told him he was talented in Transfiguration, a magic subject reputed for being so difficult that even Professor Scott had renounced to achieve it! Another boy would probably have "forgotten" the promise he had made to the teacher, just for the pleasure to brag about his abilities in front of his friends. But Sirius had never broken his word in his life, and he certainly didn't plan to start anytime soon. Besides, both Natasha Sampson and Professor McGonagall had praised his honesty and he refused to let them down.

The young Black couldn't help but feel pleased that a teacher had told him he had good potential in magic, though. Hogwarts' was Sirius' key to freedom, since the young boy already knew what he would do once he had earned his diploma: he would become an Auror, a Dark Wizards' hunter employed by the Ministry of Magic, just like Professor Scott used to be. He liked the idea of fighting wizards who abused of their magic powers to prey on innocent and defenceless people – including You-know-who! Sirius really wouldn't mind punching this pretentious idiot right on the nose, before clasping him in irons and see him on a trial.

His parents would scream in shame and horror, since they considered paid work as a "degrading" activity, unworthy of a member of the Most Ancient, Noble and Wealthy House of Black. But Sirius had never given a damn about Orion and Walburga's opinions, especially since they had told him many times in the past that their prime heir would never amount to anything, because of his rebellious attitude. And yet, he was resolute in becoming an Auror and woe to his parents' You-know-who-worshippers' friends if they ever cross his path!

"_Becoming an animal would be useful_…" thought Sirius as he took the moving staircases to reach the Great Hall. _"As an Auror, I'll need a disguise to spy on robe-kissing Pureblood imbeciles!"_

Chuckling lightly, the young boy reached the ground level and ran towards a good lunch.

TBC…


	10. Philosophy

**Disclaimer**: the same as chapter 1

**Author's notes:**

"_Der Zauberlehrling"_ or "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" is a poem written in 1797 by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832). French composer Paul Dukas (1865–1935) wrote a symphonic poem based on Goethe's story in 1897. American animator Walt Disney (1901–1966) popularized both the poem and the music in his movie "_Fantasia"_ in 1940.

* * *

**Chapter 10: ****Philosophy**

"So? What did McGonagall wanted with you?" asked James after Sirius had joined his friends for the midday lunch.

Plates filled with delicious food had been served – salads, beef bordelaise with potatoes, grilled fishes, cheese, apple pies – and a roaring fire in the chimney brought welcomed warmth inside the Great Hall, especially since raindrops were continuously splashing against the arched windows' glass panels. The students of the four houses were busy eating and talking, exchanging comments about their first classes or the amount of homework one teacher had given them. All this gave a nice feeling to the young Black, who was starting to be more at ease in Hogwarts: the nasty business about his last name and the Damian Symes incident seemed to be over. Finally, he would enjoy being a student like any other one!

Sirius settled down next to James Potter, who had chosen a table close to the Great Hall's doors and was seated with Remus Lupin and Mary McDonald – Lily was nowhere to be seen; his friends seemed anxious to know what had transpired between him and the Transfiguration teacher, but he had sworn to not utter a word about their conversation so Sirius told a little lie:

"Er… Well, she wanted my hundred lines, and she lectured me for casting that _Incendio_ spell in the Great Hall."

"Oh, gosh! Was she harsh on you?" asked an anxious Mary.

"No… Not at all!" stammered Sirius, hating the fact he was deliberately lying to Mary but he had promised McGonagall his discretion. "It was nothing I couldn't handle, believe me."

James made a comical face and, loud enough for the Slytherin students seated to the next table to hear, he started singing on the tune of "_Old McDonald": _**"Old McGonagall had a fit, ****E-I-E-I-O****! She should punish Malfoy the git, ****E-I-E-I-O****!"**

"Jamie! Hush!" said Remus. "If she hears you, there will be trouble!"

"Bah, that's my middle name!" shot the bespectacled boy back, noting with satisfaction that Lucius Malfoy was looking at him with eyes full of venom. "James Trouble Potter, at your service! But her lesson was nice, anyway, even if we all failed the exercise. Well, except for you, Siri! Transfiguration seems to be a difficult subject, but it must be great to be able to change objects into other things."

"Yeah, and I especially liked the part about the Animagi," said Sirius, his features brightening at the recollection of the teacher turning into a cat, right in front of her students.

He didn't notice Mary staring at him, and then the girl sighed and thought: _"He's so good-looking! I must have a picture of him. It was nice of Maggie to let me borrow her camera. But how I am going to convince Sirius that I just want some "souvenirs" of Hogwarts, so he'd let me take his photo?"_

"That, too. I would love to turn into a crocodile and have a go at Malfoy's leg! Can you imagine me as King Croc and chasing that yellow-liver double-crosser through the corridors? It would create quite a stir!" said James with a chuckle.

"Yeah, but I don't know if it would be wise of you to morph into a crocodile: you'll be in peril if a leather worker ever crosses your way!" laughed Remus.

"Augh! Thank you for the warning, mate. By the way, Remy, are you feeling better? You sure turned pale when Agatha Binns gave her opinion about werewolves."

The brown-haired boy suddenly spat out the food he had just shovelled into his mouth, his slender frame shaken by coughs. Some other Gryffindor students turned about, worried that the First-Year would choke on his potatoes, but Remus recovered quickly to ask:

"W-Why do you say that, Jamie?"

"Mate, I thought you were going to faint in class! You are afraid of werewolves, aren't you?"

A deep shade of red coloured Remus' cheeks and he tightened his hold on the silverware, looking so furious that for a moment Sirius feared James had overstepped his bounds. Remus was a self-confessed bookworm but he had proven his worth in a fight so he wasn't the kind to be scared by confrontations. But the next minute, Lupin's features relaxed and he took a long swing of his glass of milk before answering with a sigh:

"W-Well… Yes, er, that's right, I'm afraid of them. The whole full moon business… I know it's silly, but I can't help it."

"You shouldn't worry about werewolves, Remy! It's not as if you are going to meet one inside Hogwarts," said James. He wanted to reassure his friend but for some reason, Remus looked more nervous than ever after hearing his words.

"N-No, you're right… A werewolf hasn't got a chance to be accepted here, because… _ahem_… parents would be too afraid about him or her biting at the students, wouldn't they?"

"I think that attitude is completely stupid," said Sirius firmly. "Werewolves are dangerous only once a month and it is easy as pie to figure out when: just check on a calendar! Apart from that "special night", people with lycanthropy are absolutely normal – so why shouldn't they be admitted in Hogwarts? That's blatant prejudice!"

"But people only think about the evil acts committed by a handful of werewolves," added Mary. "I remember reading an article in the _Daily Prophet_, telling about some of them pleading allegiance to He-who-must-not-be-named because he has promised them vengeance. Apparently, he would grant werewolves permission to bite anyone – apart from Death Eaters and their families – who had refused them education or jobs in the past. So of course, to the general public's eye, all werewolves are potential criminals."

"Yeah, well who can believe a word the Dark Idiot says? He'll use those werewolves for his war before tossing them away like smelly old socks once he won't need them any more," said Sirius. "I remember my parents talking about their Lord and Master recruiting embittered lycanthropes: according to Mummy Dearest, he plans to have those fools put down like stray dogs on the day of his triumph. You-know-who wants to create a world cleaned of "impurities", and it includes werewolves. They should know better than trusting that walking forked-tongue!"

"I wouldn't mind meeting a werewolf myself," said James. "Except on the full moon night, of course; I am not _that_ crazy!"

"W-Why would you want to see one?" asked Remus shyly.

"To fulfil my natural-born curiosity, I'd like to ask him – or her – questions about how it feels to turn into a beast. It must be great to be able to do so! Imagine, as an animal you are free from homework, chores, teachers… A wolf can roam in the forest at nights without worrying about being caught by Prefects, and howl at the moon whenever it wants to. Being an animal is absolute freedom!"

"Haven't you heard what McGonagall said? Werewolves suffer a lot during their transformation, and it drives them to temporary madness!" reminded Mary.

"Yes, I'd rather stick to the whole Animagus business," concluded Sirius.

"I-I wouldn't wish this curse on anyone, not even my worst enemy," said Remus sadly.

"I would wish it on Malfoy," said James, his blue eyes shining in anger behind his rounded glasses as he spotted the object of his wrath staring at him. "Maybe it would teach that dirty little coward a thing or two about discrimination, so he'd get a taste of his own medicine!"

Lucius Malfoy's pale features got even whiter as he overheard James' words. He got on his feet, looking like he would start a fight, but then he just threw his napkin on the table and got out of the Great Hall with the air of an offended emperor in exile, followed by the unenviable Crabbe and Goyle who threw a desperate look at the plates that they hadn't finished eating!

"That's right!" growled James, "Go away and good riddance!"

"What do you think he'll do?" asked Remus.

"Nothing if he knows what is good for him," answered Sirius sombrely. "I am ready to bet my wand that Malfoy is behind the aggression in the garden. I remember the silhouette of a blond-haired boy standing in the background and snickering while Symes, Wilkinson, McIntosh and Hill beat me up."

"What? But why didn't you say anything to Professor Scott after he stopped the fight, Siri?" asked James.

"One of the Slytherins had punched me on the face, remember? I was pretty dizzy at the time, and not exactly sure of what had happened. And after Symes' expulsion I was too upset by the whole business; I just wanted to forget the attack so the other students wouldn't spend their time talking about _"the weird Black kid"_. But with some rest and Madam Pomfresh's care, I have been able to calm down and memories came back to my mind… I am almost sure the blond boy I've seen in the garden was Lucius Malfoy. It must have been his idea of a glorious feat, entrapping a "blood-traitor" and have him roughed up by his minions – too bad his moment of triumph was short-lived, thanks to you and Remy! Oh sure, I can't prove anything and he must have gotten solid alibis from his friends Crabbe and Goyle. But he knows that I know; that's why he didn't dare to make his usual nasty self after he heard you singing, Jamie, and I reckon he will keep quiet for the next few weeks."

"Aww, that's too bad," said Potter, absently tapping his fingers on his wand.

"Bah, Malfoy isn't worth the saliva we are wasting talking about him. We'd better finish our lunch, History of Magic class is next!" said Mary.

* * *

The lecture was held in Classroom 3-4 of the East Wing by Professor Binns, the only ghost teacher of the school. According to Mary – who had gotten the information from her older sister Maggie – Binns had been very old when, one day, he had gotten out of an armchair after a little doze, without realizing he had left his body behind. His death hadn't stopped him to give History of Magic's lessons: an interesting subject, but unfortunately Professor Binns was very boring so his lectures were Hogwarts' unofficial "nappy time".

Sirius had wanted to give the ghost teacher a chance, but after ten minutes he was starting to feel sleepy himself from his stomach full of food and Binn's monotonous voice. Even looking at the pages of his textbook (_"Making history"_, by Erasmus Genealogy) didn't shake the young Black from his torpor, and a glance around confirmed his fellow classmates weren't faring any better: Mary was unsuccessfully stifling yawns behind her hand, while James was drawing funny cartoon pictures on a piece of parchment tucked inside his notebook. Lily – seated as far as possible from James – feigned attention, but her unblinking eyes were a testimony that her mind was wandering miles away from the castle. The Hufflepuffs students didn't seem interested in the lecture at all, and Sirius noticed Raymond Wright and Jonathan Applegate were exchanging Chocolate Frogs Collector's Cards under their desks. Only Remus seemed to genuinely follow Binns' monologue, taking notes and looking for references in his textbook.

When the bell rang, all the students rushed to the exit, barely listening to the teacher's list of chapters to read for the next lecture.

Sirius had mixed feelings about attending the next DADA lesson: he couldn't help but feel self-conscious about meeting Professor Scott. He was still embarrassed by the expulsion of Damian Symes, and in the same time, he didn't regret asking the Sorting Hat to place him anywhere but in Slytherin. Sirius had never been the kind to subdue to other people's opinions simply to please them – much to his parents' fury – but his eleven-year-old heart was still a bit heavy from the last days' events.

Fortunately, Professor Scott started his lecture as soon as the children stepped into classroom 2-2WW. It was about the Blue Pixies, which were more nice-looking but as mischievous as their cousins, the Pink Pixies. The teacher showed a bunch of blue creatures with huge eyes, wings like dragonflies' and oversized ears, locked up inside a bird's cage, and he warned his pupils about not being fooled by those creatures' harmless appearance: the Blue Pixies loved nothing more than grabbing someone by the ears and lift the person up in the air until he or she was hanging from a high point like a tree branch, a street light or even a ceiling's chandelier.

"And you wouldn't like this experience," added Professor Scott. "In fact, some children have been found hanging from flagpoles at the top of this castle's towers, and it certainly wasn't easy to bring them down – especially if the boy or the girl panics - so have no reservation in casting the _Flipendo_ spell at a Blue Pixie."

"Will it hurt them?" asked Jessica Snow, an animal lover.

"Not at all, Miss: it will just stun them for a while, giving you all the needed time to steer away. On your Second Year, you will learn the _Immobilis_ spell, which is very useful to stop a whole flock of Blue Pixies instead of dealing with them one by one."

Professor Scott started writing on the blackboard the procedure to encage a Blue Pixie after it had been hit by a _Flipendo_ spell and the rest of the lesson went on; but James whispered to Sirius and Remus: "Hey, guys! What do you think about playing a prank on Malfoy and his goons?"

"What kind of prank?" asked Sirius.

"Well, those Blue Pixies creatures seem to be resourceful. How about "borrowing" one or two from Professor Scott, and sick them on Malfoy so he'll hang by his ears from the ceiling of the Great Hall?"

Sirius concealed his laughter in the crook of his arm, but Remus seemed horrified: "Are you out of your mind? How in the world do you think we will be able to control those Pixies? They could get loose and flee through the corridors, and we would be expelled from Hogwarts!"

"Gosh, Remy, you talk like a Prefect! Can't you drop the serious act for a minute to participate to some great jokes that will be written in gold letters inside the _"Hogwarts, a history"_ book?"

"Maybe it would even wake us up during Binns' classes!" added Sirius with a laugh.

Remus' gold-coloured eyes shone with a strange light: "Jamie, I am not against the idea of playing a plank on Lucius Malfoy. Believe me, I clearly remember his goons chasing after me on the Hogwarts Express and the horrible words he said about my grandparents. All I am saying is, if we are to ridicule Malfoy we shouldn't use creatures that we don't know how to control fully. Have you ever heard of "_Der Zauberlehrling"_?_"_

"No, I don't speak German."

"It's a poem I've read, about a sorcerer's apprentice who is tired to do chores, and during his master's absence he enchants a broom to fetch some water for him. Unfortunately, the broom keeps on bringing water and soon, the workshop is flooded! But the apprentice doesn't know the counter-spell! He tries repetitively to stop the broom, but to no avail. And when everything seems lost, the master returns and breaks the spell just in time to save his apprentice."

"Whew! Good for him, because that was a close call. But what are you telling this story for, Remy?" asked James.

"I'm telling you about it, guys, to make you understand that we shouldn't be idle about our magic powers. Otherwise, our actions can have dreadful consequences on other persons or on animals, even if originally we didn't mean to hurt anyone."

"And the first thing we should remember, too, is that a wizard-in-training must not cast a spell if he doesn't know how to end it," said Sirius, who had perfectly caught the meaning of Remus' lecture.

"Correct! Now, if we ever tried to use Blue Pixies to play a prank at Malfoy, how can we be sure that those flying menaces would obey us fully? They could damn well grab and throw another person at the top of the Astronomy Tower, terrorizing him or her for the rest of their lives. How would we live with ourselves after that?"

The voice of Professor Scott suddenly rang out loud across the class: "Potter, Black, Lupin! Are you paying any attention to what I have been writing on the blackboard?"

The three boys suddenly looked up, and saw their classmates were staring at them. The DADA teacher had his arms crossed over his chest and he didn't seem too happy about their blatant inattentiveness. Remus gulped loudly and James groaned, as they had no clue about what Professor Scott had said for the past ten minutes. Mary casted a worried glance at Sirius, while Lily Evans rolled her eyes heavenwards with a _"Typical-from-them!"_ expression on her face.

"Maybe you could be generous enough to share your fascinating conversation with the rest of the class?" added the teacher with a severe frown.

Remus felt guilty about the whole situation, as he thought it was him mentioning the text from Goethe that had let to this embarrassing situation. James was following the same train of thoughts, apart that he considered himself responsible about the whole mess since he had been the one talking about pranks in the first place. However, the boys couldn't openly confess that they had been discussing jokes and poetry!

But Sirius beat his friends to it, and stood up to say:

"Please Sir, we were talking about sorcerers' philosophy."

Professor Scott's emerald-eyes opened wide at those words. He certainly didn't expect to hear this from his First-Year students during a DADA lecture!

"Oh really, Mister Black? Now that's interesting; I never would have guessed you were already so versed about this difficult subject."

"Actually, I am not, Professor. We were only discussing about a particular point…"

"And what would be that point be, Mister Black?"

"Responsibility, Sir," said the young boy firmly, his grey eyes locked on the green gaze of the teacher.

The ghost of a smile appeared on Barisan Scott's lips: this boy definitively had heart, especially when he was in trouble!

"That's a vast subject, Mister Black. Unfortunately, a DADA lesson lasts only fifty minutes, meaning we don't have enough time to elaborate about this matter. But I am intrigued by your choices of conversation during my lectures. So, what are your conclusions?"

"Responsibility guides us in using our magic wisely, for we have been granted great powers that could cause either good or harm. Also, a responsible apprentice should never cast a spell if he or she doesn't know how to end it."

Silence followed those words, and the young Black heir started to fear that maybe he had pushed his luck a little bit too far. The DADA teacher had been nice to Sirius, but he had caught him red-handed not listening in class, which was a break in the discipline. His classmates kept on looking at him with round eyes, including Mary, making Sirius feel like he had grown an extra head recently!

Then, Professor Scott said: "Ten points for Gryffindor. Mister Black, you have perfectly resumed the meaning of the word _"responsibility"_. In our troubled times, it is nice to know some of our children care about the well-being of other people and that they want to use magic safely… in spite of multiple provocations by rancorous wrongdoers."

Sirius felt his cheeks burning in a furious shade of red; he had been honest with his words and he was glad for this turn of events, but he wanted to credit James and Remus for their shared success. But before he could open his mouth, the DADA teacher added with a smile:

"How about you returning to the responsibility expected by any other Hogwarts student… Like listening to what I say and taking notes?"

"Y-Yes, Sir!" said Sirius, promptly falling down on his seat.

"Very good! Now, as I was saying before Mister Black's philosophical interruption, the Blue Pixies eat only rotten apple scores and pumpkin seeds. So, in order to capture one, it is advised to spread their favourite food at the bottom of their future cage…"

The terrible trio of boys remained silent for the rest of the lecture, but James managed to poke Sirius' ribs with his elbow, and then he whispered behind his hand:

"What about our future pranks, you philosopher?"

"We _will_ play some… but responsibly, you troublemaker!"

TBC…


	11. Halloween

**Disclaimer:** the same as Chapter 1.

**Author's notes:**

- This chapter is dedicated to PadawanCassy!

* * *

**Chapter 11: ****Halloween**

Autumn came and routine installed itself at Hogwarts, with the students quickly adapting to their weekly schedule of classes, homework and sports. The Muggle-born First-Years had gone used to the magic-filled castle and they didn't jump in fright any more at the sight of a ghost flying through a wall, or a canvas saluting them as they walked near it. Using a wand, learning spells, sending a letter by Owl Post... All this became natural for them whereas they wouldn't have dreamed to do these things when they were living in the Muggles' world.

After two months of studying, the Halloween celebrations would be a welcome break: classes would be cancelled the day before October 31st, and a huge feast was planned at the Great Hall but the menu was a very hush-hush secret. In the meantime, no expenses had been spared for the decoration, which included dozens of Jack-o'-lanterns floating in the air, artistically-cut purple banners hanging between the castle's pillars and lightened candles shaped like apples.

The ghosts were looking forward the upcoming celebrations since they could party only twice a year – on Walpurgis and Halloween Nights – so they were pretty excited, particularly the phantom representatives of Hogwarts' houses: Nearly-Headless Nick from Gryffindor entertained the students with the story of his botched decapitation, Ravenclaw's Grey Lady lured children on a treasure hunt which led to nowhere, the Bloody Baron from Slytherin kept on biting at everyone on sight and Hufflepuff's Fat Monk was flying wildly in the castle after "passing through" barrels of wine one time too many.

Even the castle's worst inhabitant, Peeves the poltergeist, had decided to add a touch of mischief to Halloween so many students found themselves on the receiving end of his water balloons. Professor Nitric had howled in outrage after Peeves had pulled a rug from under his feet and Argus Filtch, Hogwarts' mean caretaker, vowed eternal revenge against the poltergeist after a saucepan had been tied to his pet's tail, an old cat named Mr. Smith.

"You'll pay for this!" had screamed Filtch loud enough for the whole school to hear, waving his broom like a war hatchet.

"Hee hee hee! Squibby Filtch is angry!" exclaimed Peeves, laughing like a maniac. "Are we afraid of the bleating of a smelly goat? Honest answer: no! Ha ha ha ha! Aw, why are you doing with that broom, Filtch? You're not going to make it fly any time soon; you only know how to wipe the floors with! But as a consolation prize, I will make a rug out of Mr. Smith's pelt to keep your bony self warm for the winter, hee hee!" And then Peeves ducked just in time to avoid the broom hurled at him, and he disappeared after knocking down a vase full of flowers.

Sirius was having the time of his life at Hogwarts. He had made great friends with James, Remus and Mary, his parents and his brother hadn't bothered to write to him since the Howler incident and, under the teachers' patient tutelage, he was learning how to use his magic powers accurately and efficiently. He had completely forgotten about the Black Manor and he enjoyed the company of persons who actually cared for him. After eleven years of conflict, Sirius could go to bed every night with joy inside his heart, looking forward the next day with his friends.

Of course, not everything was easy at Hogwarts. The weekly Potion Class with Professor Nitric was especially tedious since the teacher apparently held a grudge against every student who was not clever enough for his tastes – including those from his house. Sirius would have loved to punch the brutal teacher on the nose but Mary had told him it was wiser to ignore him. And there was also the matter of Lucius Malfoy: even if he was keeping a low profile since the ruined attack in the garden, the Slytherin boy never missed an occasion to make a Gryffindor's First-Year trip over or to snicker loudly every time Lily Evans was questioned, Inquisition-like, by Professor Nitric.

Another noticeable incident had been Remus missing classes for a few days, twice since the beginning of the school year. Professor McGonagall had explained the boy's absence for _"urgent family matters"_ that had requested his presence at home, but Sirius and James hadn't believed her explanation. Still, they had welcomed Remus back and let him borrow their notebooks without asking questions about him leaving the castle. But whatever had happened to Remus, it certainly hadn't been good for his health: each time, the boy came back looking frail and shaken!

October 29th finally came, and all the students were very impatient to finish their classes so they would start enjoying three days of celebration. The lucky ones have found bags of candy hidden in the classrooms and filled with hot-mint flavoured lollypops (making the eater spit out harmless flames), one-hour long-lasting chewing-gums, chocolate pumpkins and sugar cobwebs. All these goodies were making the kids behave like crazies in the school's corridors, making Filch spite his venom every five minutes!

Only James Potter was behaving way too calmly in this Halloween frenzy. In fact, Sirius noted, James had been secretive since an owl had delivered him a parcel from home. Usually, the young Potter would tell his friends at once what he had received from his parents – it would be cakes, warm clothes for the winter, once a book from his father's library – but this time, he had kept quiet about the contents of the latest parcel and Sirius had thought it a bit odd.

Finally, after lectures were finished and the evening meal eaten, the Gryffindors went back to their common room; Remus, who had just come back a few days ago looking sicker than ever, had proposed Sirius a quiet game of chess so the boys seated next to the chimney. But before they had the time to move the first piece, James came up to them with a gleam dancing in his blue eyes.

"Hey, guys. You know what?"

"No, what?" asked Sirius.

"Today's the 29th, meaning we are reaching mid-term and the teachers will attend meetings to talk about progresses in the development of our recently-educated brains."

"So?"

"So, Remy, I happen to know that tonight the teachers will be discussing the First-Years, the Second-Years and the Third-Years. Fives, Sixes and Sevens' cases will be talked about tomorrow. And I also know where the meeting will be held... in the Great Hall, no less, and from nine-thirty to eleven-thirty p.m.!"

Sirius wondered why his friend would give them this kind of information.

"That's interesting, but why are you acting like a cat which had just gotten the cream?"

James Potter's smile widened: "Because, mate, I am going to spy on this meeting!"

Sirius' grey eyes went round in stupefaction, and Remus gasped in surprise: the enormity of their friend's project was simply too incredible!

"Are you crazy?"

"According to my latest check-up, I am perfectly sane; thank you for asking!"

"But Jamie, you can't succeed in this!" said Remus. "Firstly, our curfew is at nine and the teachers' meeting is at nine-thirty, so there's a good chance the Fat Lady will ask questions about why you are out of bed. Secondly, the Great Hall is on the ground floor and we are at the seventh level, meaning a long way to walk in the open. You'll never manage to sneak past the Prefects unnoticed!"

"And let's not forget the ghosts: all of them can denounce you to a teacher," added Sirius. "Why do you want to spy on that meeting, anyway?"

"Because I want to know what that fool Nitric has to say about us, guys," answered the bespectacled boy. "Don't think for a minute that he has calmed down since his brilliant speech on our first day with him. He may refrain from openly insulting Gryffindors during his lectures, but you can bet a crate of Halloween candy he will say the worst things about our gang during this meeting – especially about Remus, who had missed two of his Potion classes. And when he does, I will create a few... incidents to remind him that bad-mouthing people behind their backs is very rude."

Flintstone eyes met honey-coloured ones, and then Sirius and Remus asked in the same voice: "But how in the world are you going to do it?"

"There are way too many ears in this common room, mates. Why don't we discuss this matter in our peaceful dormitory?"

* * *

A few minutes later, the trio was hiding in their bedroom which was completely vacant except for Sammy Brown's cat, Domino; the animal was sleeping off his latest meal, curled on his master's bed. Sirius took a peek at the corridor, making sure nobody was strolling around, but it was early in the evening so the other dormitories and the bathroom were completely deserted. Then, he silently closed their bedroom's door.

"Okay, there's no one around, and Domino is unlikely to tell on us."

"So, how are you going to sneak outside the dorm without being spotted?" asked Remus, sitting on the edge of his bed and looking very pale.

James smiled mischievously; he took out from under his bed the parcel he had received recently, and then he tore open the brown paper and grabbed at something tucked inside it, to deploy... a cloak.

Sirius felt his lower jaw hitting the bedroom's floor. The mysterious item sent to his friend was nothing more than a piece of clothing?

"But... This is only a cloak, Jamie!"

"Ah, it is just like me, there's more than meets the eye. Don't you see how marvellous it is?"

After the first moment of surprise had passed, Sirius had to admit it was indeed beautiful: it was silvery in colour with iridescent reflections and embroideries, including on the hood, and it had a water-like fluidity. Walburga Black, who prided herself in being the most elegant witch of England, would have been green of envy. But the cloth looked thin and was cut for an adult, making it too long for an eleven-year-old to wear it.

"Well, it is nice, for sure. But if you want to impress the Prefects, it won't help you much and it doesn't seem thick enough protect you from the cold. Besides, it isn't even your size."

James almost fell on the floor laughing!

"I have no intention to wear it during a snowstorm, Siri! And parading in front of the Prefects would hardly help in my future mischief project."

"Then, what do you want to do with it?"

"Watch," answered the young Potter. In a swift movement, he wrapped himself in the cloak...

... And then, in a blink of an eye, his whole body disappeared!

"OOOOH!"

Sirius and Remus jumped on their feet: Potter had vanished, leaving only his laughing head floating in the air! It was an eerie sight, both horrifying and wonderful. If Lupin had been redeemed speechless, stunned by the demonstration, it wasn't the same case with the young Black who bombarded James with questions:

"Jamie! How have you managed to do this? Where this cloak does comes from? Is it enchanted? Is it yours? How does it work? Can it..."

"Whoa! Please ask one question at a time, mate."

"Sorry, but... it's fantastic! What is that thingy?"

"This is an Invisibility Cloak. It belongs to Dad, who had inherited it from my grandfather. It's an heirloom which has been in my family for centuries! According to that bunch of butterfingers at the Ministry of Magic, this kind of very rare item cannot be given to an underage wizard. But Dad has never been one to follow the rules – come to think of it, no one in my family has ever done a thing by the book – and since I wrote home to tell about the troubles we've been having with Professor Nitric, well... Dad has thought it would be better if I used the cloak now."

"But for what purposes?"

"Oh, the possibilities are limitless: hide from sight whenever Nitric looks for somebody to blame, kick Malfoy's posterior when he tries to bully a Gryffindor, stomp on Filtch's foot when he is in his nasty self... or sneak through the corridors way past bedtime. Dad used this cloak during his Hogwarts days, and it had saved him from some tight spots because he had the bad habit to play pranks on Pureblood pedants. Good ol' Dad!" added James with a chuckle.

"But... are you completely undetectable under this cloak?" asked Remus, regaining the use of his voice at last.

"Absolutely, mate! I've tried it on yesterday afternoon and no one has spotted me, including the ghosts, Peeves and the paintings! Since this cloak is large enough for the three of us, would you fancy a tour of the castle after curfew tonight?"

"Yes!" exclaimed Sirius at once.

"No," answered Remus with a sigh.

James shook the cloak off his shoulders, and his body became visible again.

"Oh, sorry mate. You don't feel well enough to come with us?"

"That's right, Jamie. I've been very sick during my... absence from Hogwarts, and I am still tired from the trip and everything. My legs shake like jelly, and my head hurts."

"Aw, that's rotten luck," said Sirius, frowning. He would have loved to have their pal tagging along during their very first escapade in Hogwarts! But deep down, he knew Remus was wise to refrain from going: he wouldn't have been able to run very fast in case of an emergency, and their excursion was perilous enough.

Remus smiled, genuinely appreciating Sirius' concern.

"Don't worry, Siri, I'll play a part in this too!"

"Really? How?"

"Well, you must leave the dormitory around nine o'clock to reach the Great Hall, and hide before the teachers' meeting starts. Even if you stay under the Invisibility Cloak, Natasha and Albert might wonder why the Fat Lady's portrait is moving while there's nobody on sight. So, I will keep the Prefects busy for a few minutes; it will give you guys a chance to get out of the dormitory without trouble!"

* * *

True to his word, Lupin had planned the perfect distraction so his friends would leave the Gryffindor's dormitory unnoticed. A quarter before nine o'clock, Natasha and Albert were calling out for curfew when the boy suddenly asked for their help: he had "misplaced" a small jar containing a potion he had to take – which was actually hidden under Remus' bed. So while Natasha, Albert and Remus were searching the Common Room fruitlessly for the missing medication, James and Sirius seized the opportunity to put their plan in action.

Hidden beneath the Invisibility Cloak, the two rebels reached the Fat Lady's portrait and opened the round-shaped door. Normally, she would have let out loud exclamations for being disturbed while no student was on sight, but luck was on James and Sirius' side: the Fat Lady had left her frame, probably to gossip with a painted colleague.

"On to the Great Hall, mate!" whispered James, and Sirius answered with a grin. As part of the charade, the boys were dressed in their sleepwear as they had faked going to sleep earlier in the evening (they even had closed their beds' curtains to avoid embarrassing questions about their whereabouts); they were also wearing woollen bathrobes against the evening chill and slippers to muffle the sound of their footsteps.

Sirius could hardly believe it: when a person was under the Invisibility Cloak, its cloth became translucent, making the embroideries look like they were floating in thin air so it was easy to walk through the castle's corridors, which were illuminated by various torches and candles set on the walls. And yet, from the outside the cloak was completely masking its wearer from sight.

Sirius' heart was pounding inside his chest like a hammer: finally, after years of dreaming being invisible, he had been granted his wish... but he would never have thought it would be in company of his best friend! So far, they had succeeded in leaving Gryffindor's tower and walking down the Grand Staircase, passing by a few Prefects patrolling the castle without being detected, so it seemed James' crazy scheme would work after all.

"Gosh, Jamie, this is incredible!" whispered Sirius as they walked the corridor leading to the Great Hall. "None of the prefects we have encountered have raised the alarm. We have passed in front of three mirrors and our reflections never showed up, as if we have become vampires all of a sudden!"

"Pretty neat, eh? No wonder the Ministry's fools would give their front teeth to get their hands on such a magic item: it would actually give them a bit of courage to stand against You-know-who!"

"You don't seem to appreciate the Ministry's pen-pushers much, pal."

"Damn right I don't," grumbled the young Potter under his breath. "It's a bunch of bureaucrats afraid of their own shadows, who have denied tooth and nail for years the rise of He-who-blah-blah-blah instead of fighting him when there was still time. In fact, any wizard or witch who had tried to convince them about the urgency to take actions have been ridiculed or their names dragged in the mud, courtesy of the _Daily Prophet_ which is under the Ministry's thumb. And now, that big bastard of a would-be master of the world is gathering troops of imbeciles way too numerous for my taste. The Aurors have to fight them on every front and their forces are stretched as it is. Imagine how well off we would all be, if the Dark Loony had been thrown in Azkaban years ago!"

"I want to be an Auror when I'm grown up, like Professor Scott used to be," said Sirius quietly. "Then I will fight You-know-who and put him in jail where he belongs, and throw away the key."

"Wow! Your relatives are going to hit the roof when they'll hear this!"

"Bah, I stopped caring about their opinion years ago... Oh, shh!"

The two boys suddenly stopped on their tracks: Nearly-Headless-Nick was floating in the corridor at a few paces from them and even if the chatty Gryffindor ghost was friendly, his presence wasn't exactly welcomed for the moment. Sirius suddenly felt his insides turn into ice: what would happen if Nick accidentally flew through the Invisibility Cloak? Would he detect the presence of the two students hiding beneath it? For all his kindness, Nick lacked of the necessary discretion and he could ask questions about their presence in the corridors past curfew.

"Hello? Anyone here?" asked a puzzled Nick in the deserted corridor. Judging from his attitude, the ghost had no intention of leaving anytime soon.

James inwardly cursed their bad luck: an obstacle just a few meters from the Great Hall's door! But salvation came, in the form of hyena-laughing Peeves coming out from a wall.

"Tee hee hee! Talking to yourself, are you, Nicky?"

"I am not! And I've told you a million times that my name is Sir Nicholas!" protested the aristocratic ghost, which made the poltergeist laugh even louder.

"Aye, Sir Nicholas of the Blunt Axe... or is it Sir Nicholas of the Headache?"

"It is only common courtesy to call people by their real names, you know, and you could certainly use some improvement in your manners. It's strange, I could have sworn I've heard somebody whispering around here," said Nick, his almost-cut head bending dangerously towards his right shoulder.

"Yakety yak, yakety yak! You're talking your head off, Nicky; you certainly have the inclination for that!"

And with this last jibe, Peeves flew back through the wall, chased after by an offended Nick. James let out a big sigh of relief.

"Whew! I'd never thought I'd be happy to see that pest of a poltergeist!"

"He's quite a handful, isn't he? And he doesn't seem to respect anyone, including Professor Dumbledore," said Sirius.

"Actually, the only one he fears is the Bloody Baron. If you get fed up, a good trick is to threaten to call on the Baron and Peeves leaves you alone... sometimes. He is the only ghost of the castle who has the ability to move objects, so he can play tricks with total impunity."

The two boys quickly finished crossing the corridor, and then James got one of his hands out of the Invisibility Cloak to turn the Great Hall's knob. The twin massive sculpted doors turned on their hinges and indeed, the room had been prepared for the upcoming meeting: all the students' tables had been cleaned from the latest meal's dishes and food remains, and a fire in the huge chimney gave the necessary heat and illumination; the teachers' table had been covered with a white cloth bearing Hogwarts' emblem, and files were stacked upon it. On another table set apart, refreshments and cakes had been displayed. However, there wasn't anyone on sight so James whispered:

"Let's get someplace not too far from the teachers, but not too close to avoid detection."

"How about under those glass-stained windows? There are stone benches here so we can sit down, and it isn't far from the Great Hall's back door to use it as an emergency exit."

"Yeah! Good idea!"

The incorrigible youngsters quickly reached their observatory position, and a few minutes later the Great Hall's main doors opened wide to let in the teachers, led by Professor Dumbledore. The meeting was about to begin; James and Sirius, hidden under the Invisibility Cloak, were not going to miss a minute of it!

TBC...


	12. The meeting

**Disclaimer:** the same as in Chapter 1.

**Author'****s notes:**

- Happy New Year 2010 to all!!!

- To Tay: thank you very much! ;-)

- To Ruby890: thanks! Enjoy this new chapter!

- To OhmyGodnoway: I am glad you like the story so far. I hope you'll appreciate this new chapter as well.

- Details from the peashooter come from Wikipedia.

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* * *

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Chapter 12:

**The meeting**

As the teachers entered the Great Hall, Sirius noted that most of them had morose expressions on their faces, as if they had been recently discussing news about You-Know-Who. Nitric had a heavy-looking briefcase tucked under his right arm and a self-satisfied smirk on his face. Scott was watching the whole procession with his attentive green eyes, looking every inch an Auror on the alert, but the others seemed torn between starting an argument and keeping a low profile. A heavy silence followed the adults' entrance and soon it was weighting on the Great Hall like lead, the only audible sounds being the fire crackling in the mantel.

Dumbledore made a small movement with his hand and, all of a sudden, the candles of the Great Hall were lightened of their own accord. The young Black became worried this extra light would somehow betray their presence, but James merely smiled: even bright sunshine in the middle of the Sahara desert wouldn't be enough to reveal the outlines of the Invisibility Cloak and the two boys huddled beneath it.

"Please take a seat, my dear colleagues," said Dumbledore while sitting on the huge wood-carved chair designed only for the Headmaster's use. The teachers settled down, and Sirius noted that Professor Nitric took a bunch of parchment pages, a quill and a big bottle of _Infinite Ink_, _"the enchanted fluid ink that couldn't fade even centuries after it had been used"_ according to the caption on the label. The Potions Master dipped his quill directly inside the ink bottle and started writing painstakingly on the parchment, paying no mind to Dumbledore as he said:

"Tonight, we will discuss the progresses made by our First, Second and Third Years as we reach autumn's mid-term. The Head of Hufflepuff House will start, then it will be Ravenclaws', and after Gryffindors' and Slytherins'. We will take a break around 10:15 for refreshments, and then we will start again around 10:30 to hear the DADA, Care of Magical Creatures, Flying, Astronomy, Divination, Ancient Runes, Arithmancy teachers, in order to finish this meeting for 11:30 at most. Professor Demeter, will you begin?"

Demeter stood up and, as she gathered her papers on the table, the white cloth magically changed colours to bear the Hufflepuff's trademark black and yellow.

"Thank you, Headmaster. Well, I am pleased to report that none of the students of my house have lost points for rules-breaking or rude behaviour. The First-Years are very thorough in their work, and they have quickly comprehended the basic notions of Herbology. The Second-Years are also making steady progresses, and the Third-Years show enough maturity to be put in charge of dangerous plants like the Strangling Liana. The house count is 52, a good score after two months of school."

Nitric chuckled lightly at these words, without taking his eyes off the parchment he was arduously writing on. Professor Demeter turned an angry face at the Potions Master. Dumbledore quickly asked to avoid a confrontation: "How about those from the other houses, do you have anything to report about them?"

Sirius felt his heart jump inside his throat, as he feared Professor Demeter would complain about him out of her grudge. He felt James' hand slipping in his to give it a reassuring shake. But the woman replied:

"I've experienced no trouble whatsoever with the Ravenclaws and the Gryffindors, Headmaster (Sirius sighed in relief). They are quiet inside the classroom and they do their homework thoroughly. However, and in spite of repeated warnings, some Slytherin First-Years have adopted an insolent attitude during my classes and I had to punish them, making their house loose points again which is something they cannot afford after losing 900 points on the first day of term. Then again, intelligence isn't the Slytherins' top quality, is it?"

Nitric hissed like a stepped-on rattlesnake, but his writing stopped only for a few seconds.

"Who are those First-Years?" asked Dumbledore,

"Lucius Malfoy: he threw some fertilizer at Andy Matheson, one of my First-Years, and called him a _"mixed midget"_; Victor Crabbe threatened Paul Doyle with bodily harm if he didn't give him the answers of a test; and Patricia Parkinson said my chrysanthemums were "_nothing but_ _rotten flowers"_ before deliberately stomping on them. I've told you that nothing good could come out of those Pureblood brats, Headmaster!" added Professor Demeter with the harshness of a carnivorous plant.

"Pomona, we can't forbid the Slytherins to attend your lectures because of a few troublemakers. In fact, we have to give these prejudiced youngsters a chance to see farther than the ideology taught by their parents..." started Dumbledore, but the teacher cut him short.

"I have given Malfoy, Crabbe and Parkinson their chance, and they threw it back in my face. Well, no longer, Headmaster! I want those Slytherins expelled from my classroom... no, correction, I want all the Pureblood-issued barred from my greenhouse since my teaching isn't good enough for people with impeccable genes!"

Sirius and James jumped in surprise at the same time, barely able to believe what they had just heard. Professor Demeter was asking for the banishment of **all** the Purebloods from her classes? But there were as many Purebloods kids in the Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff houses as in the Slytherin's. It would mean half of Hogwarts' students wouldn't have access to Herbology! Sirius felt sick at the implications of that demand; the professor's hate towards You-know-who followers had reached the point where she wouldn't bother to make the difference between perpetrators and innocent bystanders whereas Sirius had progressively realized – mostly through Mary McDonald's influence – that the majority of the Slytherins didn't want to mix with Malfoy because they were opposed to his opinions.

"I can't grant you this ostracism-based request, Pomona," answered Dumbledore firmly. "Hogwarts' students must attend all classes, without exceptions, for seven years to earn a complete course in magic and become full-fledged wizards and witches. If the Slytherins you've mentioned are not behaving correctly, feel free to give them detentions or lines, for the rest of the year if needed. But as long as I will be Headmaster, nobody will be barred from a class on account of his or her family: that kind of attitude is worthy only of You-Know-Who."

"Well, he certainly wouldn't have this kind of scruples if he were in charge of this school! He has proclaimed loud and clear that Hogwarts should be "cleansed" from any trace left by non-Purebloods over the past thousand years!" exclaimed Professor Demeter.

"It doesn't mean we have to imitate him, Pomona. We must double our efforts in order to enlighten the mind of students already showing blatant prejudice."

"Even if they call you a "_goody-goody old fool"_, make a mockery of your tolerance and would hex you in the back at the first occasion?"

"We all know about the tragedy that had struck your family, but showing hostility towards Purebloods won't help your brother."

The Herbology teacher sat back on her chair, her face a picture of disgust. Her red cheeks looked incandescent from barely-controlled fury and she accidentally crushed a quill by tightening her fist too hard around it. It was obvious she wouldn't add another word for the duration of the meeting, and the tablecloth changed colours to become pure white again.

McGonagall coughed loudly, and Dumbledore shook his head sadly while the other professors seemed embarrassed by their colleague's attitude. Professor Scott's green gaze moved slightly to stare at the Herbology for a minute, and then he resumed at observing the Potions Master. Oddly, only Nitric seemed satisfied by Demeter's outburst; he dipped his quill in the bottle of _"Infinite Ink"_ before writing again, even if it was obvious he was having a hard time with spelling words.

Sirius whispered to James: "Have you seen Nitric? He's got that same smug look on his face than after he had humiliated Lily in front of the whole class!"

"Yeah, he probably has a plan in the back of his head and Demeter has just given him the opportunity to strike with her silly request of banishing all Purebloods from Herbology. Why is Nitric taking notes all the time, by the way? I really don't like this."

Sirius nodded imperceptibly; Professor Demeter certainly didn't help the belligerent situation brewing inside Hogwarts with her demands: talk about braiding with your own hands the rope destined to hang you!

Suddenly, a booming sound was heard outside the Great Hall and all heads turned towards the large wooden doors – including those of James' and Sirius'. After a few seconds, Argus Filch entered the Great Hall with his cat right at his heels and some greenish slime running from his long strands of hair and dripping down on his clothes and boots. The picture would have been funny if Filch didn't look so furious.

"Headmaster! I want to press charges against Peeves!" roared the caretaker while Mr. Smith, the cat, meowed in protest after receiving an extra drop of slime on its skull.

"What has he done now?" asked Dumbledore.

"He has booby-trapped the storage room at the first floor with Ghosts' Bogeys, that's what he has done! I was putting away my broom for the evening and when I opened the door, a whole bucket of Ghosts' Bogeys fell on my head. That green stuff has dirtied the corridor I had just finished cleaning! Peeves must be expelled from the castle, Headmaster! He's a ruffian, a hood, a menace to society, a..."

"Argus, you have my permission to go down to the Dungeons and send the Bloody Baron after Peeves," interrupted Dumbledore. "And I assure you measures will be taken as soon as this meeting is over, so this kind of incident won't happen again."

The grumpy caretaker seemed satisfied by Dumbledore's promise and he left the Great Hall in a flash, his cat and him leaving slimy traces on the stoned floor. In his enthusiasm to get retribution against Peeves, Filch had forgotten the fact that the Bloody Baron hated to be interrupted in his endless patrols in the Dungeons, and usually answered to requests for chasing the poltergeist with a few well-placed bites.

James had a strange smile: "_This kind of incident won't happen again_"? Fat chance! I have an account to settle with that cantankerous caretaker who wrongly accused me of leaving muddy footprints on the Main Hall's carpet, last Tuesday."

"In the lines of a bucket of goo placed at the top of an opened door?" asked Sirius.

"Amongst other things, mate," answered James with a mischievous gleam shining in his blue eyes.

"Ahem! Let's carry on with the meeting," said Professor Dumbledore, apparently annoyed by Filch's noisy interruption. "Professor Flitwick, you are in charge of the Ravenclaw house. Could you please tell us how your First, Second and Third Years have been behaving since the beginning of term?"

The short-sized teacher climbed on the table to stand at eye level with his colleagues, and just like with Professor Demeter, the white cloth changed colours to display Ravenclaw's deep and light blue. His presentation was short and clear: his house had scored 101 points, no incidents had erupted during his lectures (like a sudden explosion occurring after an incantation hadn't been pronounced correctly), he had experienced no trouble with Pureblood militants so far and he had spotted some First-Years who were already showing great aptitudes in Charms.

"Who, for instance?" asked Professor Dumbledore.

"Well, amongst the Ravenclaws there is Kevin O'Connor, Josephine Beauregard and Julia King. In the other houses, James Potter and Lily Evans seem to be the most talented in Gryffindor..."

Under the Invisibility Cloak, Sirius elbowed James in the ribs.

"There is also Jeremy Adamson in Hufflepuff and... Lucius Malfoy in Slytherin," finished Professor Filtwick.

Professor Nitric chuckled in satisfaction, but never bothered to look up – he was too busy tracing silos on his parchment pages. James' expression changed from satisfied to nauseated, and Sirius made a face. Lucius Malfoy being good in Charms could mean nothing but trouble; no doubts Nitric would encourage Malfoy to read Dark Arts books as soon as possible – even if it was illegal for underage students to have access to this documentation. Madame Pince, the severe librarian, was particularly uptight about this point.

"Professor McGonagall, what about your First, Second and Third Years?" called Dumbledore.

The severe-faced Transfiguration teacher stood up and, as on cue, the tablecloth turned gold and red. Her presentation was also strict and concise: she couldn't hear a pin dropping inside her classroom; all her Second and Third-Years' students did their homework and the First-Years made good efforts in acquiring the bases. Of course, Transfiguration was such a difficult subject it could take months before the First-Years could actually succeed in correctly changing the shapes of small objects but amongst the Gryffindors, there was one who showed amazing abilities and she had put great hopes in this boy.

"Who, Minerva?" asked Professor Dumbledore.

"Sirius Black, Headmaster. He's by far the most talented amongst my First-Years."

This time, it was James who elbowed Sirius in the ribs.

"You're a star, mate!"

"Hush," whispered the young boy with a smile.

Professor Scott had an almost-imperceptible start, and then a small smile spread on his lips but he never got his eyes off from Professor Nitric. Sirius felt joy blossoming inside his heart at this sight, as he assumed Scott's reaction meant the DADA teacher was proud of his accomplishments in Transfiguration.

"In fact," added McGonagall, "Black is even better than Barnaby Jones, the Ravenclaw who left Hogwarts abruptly after being victimized one time too many by narrow-minded imbeciles."

Nitric's quill stopped scratching heavily on the pages for a second, and he casted a dirty look at the witch but McGonagall wasn't impressed by silent threats. She stood her grounds, her gaze fixed on the fat Potions Master as if she defied him to speak. The other teachers, fearing confrontation, started to sink lowly on their chairs as if they wanted to hide under the table, apart from Professor Scott who remained immobile. Professor Flitwick, Head of Ravenclaw, had a strange expression on his face – looking both prideful and sad at the recollection of Jones, his brilliant former House member who had left the castle in tears. Flitwick hadn't seen the hassle Jones was submitted to until it had been too late...

Finally, Nitric mumbled a word between his teeth and resumed to his writing with a downright rude attitude. Dumbledore shuffled nervously on his seat: he could hardly lecture McGonagall for her words as she was a formidable woman with an equally formidable temper. She totally disapproved of Demeter's ostracism but she also disagreed with the Headmaster's _"Cajole the guilty"_ policy, and if somebody stood on her way... well, it wasn't a pretty sight. Dumbledore was quite aware McGonagall hated law-breaking and the prejudiced attitude showed by some students was a blatant breach in Hogwarts' rules.

"Ahem! Thank you for your report, Minerva. Now, we will hear Professor Nitric, Head of the Slytherin House. Professor Nitric?"

The Potions Master was still scratching on his parchment pages, apparently unaware the Headmaster had called on him. Under the Invisibility Cloak, James and Sirius exchanged a glance: Nitric couldn't be that concentrated on his notes, now, could he?

"Professor Nitric?" asked Dumbledore again.

The other teachers turned their heads towards their not-exactly-esteemed colleague, who completely ignored the perplexed looks or the light coughs. He dipped his quill inside the bottle of _Infinite Ink_ and wrote a few extra words.

"Professor Nitric!" called Dumbledore, a bit louder this time.

"Yes, yes, I've heard you, Headmaster. No everyone in this school is deaf, you know," answered the Potions Master with an annoyed tone, putting down his quill at last.

"Well, if you are not deaf, how about you answering when Professor Dumbledore asks you a question?" asked McGonagall, looking offended by Nitric's insolence.

"I do happen to have important things to note on that parchment and I won't be delayed by any interference. Unlike you, McGonagall, I ignore futile matters like Quidditch matches and house points. I put my mind to better use and I focus on what is really important for this school! Before coming here, I had an important position at the Ministry of Magic..."

"Which helps to explain why the Ministry is a madhouse," said Professor Scott, cutting Nitric's self-satisfaction like with a machete.

A round of chuckles was heard within the Great Hall, and the Potions Master's reddish face turned white in sheer rage. James and Sirius covered their mouths with their pyjamas' sleeves to refrain from laughing. Way to go, Scott!

"Iago, we are waiting for your report about the behaviour of your First, Second and Third-Years since the beginning of the term," said Dumbledore a bit sharply before his subordinate could answer to Professor Scott's sarcasm.

"Oh really, Headmaster, do we have to linger on these peccadilloes?"

"As a matter of fact, we do!"

"Oh fine, fine, I will humour you," said Nitric as he nonchalantly gave a light tap on the tablecloth with his wand; the cloth instantly turned silver and green. "You already know the Slytherin's House's Count is minus 923 points and yet, all my students are behaving normally, unlike the ones from the other houses. Lucius Malfoy is one of my best pupils. Happy, now?"

"Are you out of your mind? Your house is down 923 points, and you say your students are behaving normally?" exclaimed Demeter.

"Do I have to remind you that your House has lost 900 points from the very beginning of the term, and some Slytherins have managed to aggravate this situation because of their attitude?" asked Professor McGonagall. "Unless you have read the Hogwarts' rules handbook backwards, and you think loosing points will make you earn the House Cup?"

"Frankly, I have better things in mind than winning a rusty cup at the end of the year!"

"Then, will you be kind enough to tell us what your concerns are about?" asked Professor Dumbledore.

Professor Nitric had a nasty smile when he answered: "Since I have stepped foot inside this school, I immediately realised the state of deterioration Hogwarts has fallen into. Children enter here as dunces and they go out as teenaged dunces. The programs are risible, the learning methods are a sham; the Potions laboratory is under-furnished and the library is full of dung-filled volumes..."

"I am responsible for the choice of those books, in cooperation with Madame Pince the librarian!" exclaimed Professor Flitwick.

"I am quite aware of that, Flitwick, and I'll thank you to not interrupt," said Nitric scathingly. "So, considering all the failings this school has, it is no wonder students here are plain mediocre! Oh, I know my opinion is looked down by everybody in this room, but I do happen to know persons at the Ministry of Magic who will be very interested in what I have to say..."

"What do you mean, Iago?" asked Dumbledore.

The Potions Master stood up, brandishing his handful of pages like a proclamation of war.

"I haven't bothered in regaining stupid points to win a stupid trophy because I had more important things to do. What I am about to accomplish is something that will improve Hogwarts drastically! For weeks, I have taken notes about the behaviour displayed by the First-Years, and the results are simply appalling! In Hufflepuff, Raymond Wright keeps on eating sweets during my lectures. Jonathan Applegate tried to protest after I have punished him for brewing a potion the wrong way..."

Nitric recited a long list of Hufflepuff First-Years who were apparently misbehaving or failing in Potions: strangely enough, they were all non-Pureblood. The same thing happened when he slandered the new Ravenclaw kids through and through for about ten minutes. Then, Nitric saved the best for Gryffindor: "Lily Evans can't answer a simple question without faking to cry – and that silly girl has the pretention to become a witch! Nicholas Perkins dared to leave the Potions room without my authorisation to go to the infirmary after he had clumsily burned his hand. But one of the worst I've ever met in my life is James Potter: insolent, troublemaker, meddlesome boy!"

"A perfect description," snickered James quietly.

"But the all-time winner of the Magic Disgrace's title is Sirius Black, that top student of yours, McGonagall!" concluded Nitric.

"Say again?" asked the severe witch.

"You've heard me perfectly!" shot the Potions Master back. "Black is an uncontrollable rebel who will amount to nothing and he will end up in an Azkaban cell."

Sirius shuddered at the mention of the wizards' prison, and he felt James' hand tightening on his shoulder.

"I wasn't aware of your Divination skills, Nitric. Do you actually have the power to predict a child's future?" asked Professor Scott with an icy tone.

"I am quite aware this youngster is your protégé, Scott. But you'll have to admit sooner or later that Black is a bad example for the other students with his permanent contestation of authority!"

That brought a laugh out of the DADA teacher: "**You** are concerned about bad examples? That'll be the day! Besides, had you bothered to listen during this meeting instead of writing all the time, you would have heard all the First-Years you have mentioned – including Black – have good grades in other subjects. It appears they have difficulties only in Potions, so you should consider revising your pedagogical skills."

"Oh, really? How about Peter Pettigrew?" asked Nitric, waving his parchments around. "He is virtually failing everywhere, including Herbology which is a subject so simple even a donkey could master it."

"WHAT?!" exclaimed an offended Professor Demeter.

Sirius frowned at this attack against Pettigrew – the one his fellow classmates have nicknamed _"Pitiful Pete"_ for his cry-baby attitude. But he didn't expect Nitric to slander that harmless student, who was scared of his own shadow.

"And let's not forget Remus Lupin, who had the ultimate gall to miss school for a whole week, twice in two months. His absenteeism is unforgivable," snarled Nitric.

"Lupin has health issues!" cried McGonagall.

"lf he's a weakling, then he has nothing to do at Hogwarts," said Nitric disdainfully. "This is a witchcraft and wizardry school, not a nursery – and I don't fall for his pathetic attempts to hide his laziness with sick leave. By the way, you've never bothered to tell us what Lupin is suffering from, McGonagall. How can we be sure he isn't contagious?"

"Lupin has the right of secrecy, and do you honestly think Professor Dumbledore would have let him enter this school if there was the slightest risk of... _contagion_... from him?"

"Considering the state Hogwarts is, I am entitled to have doubts."

The Transfiguration teacher's face had turned red, but one couldn't tell if it was due to anger or embarrassment. Sirius and James exchanged a furious glance; they knew the Potions Master had a grudge against their friend Remus, but they would never have thought he would make a mockery of his ailment in front of the other teachers. Remy had burned the midnight oil to make up for his absences, and Nitric had the nerve to say the boy was lazy?

"You were right, Jamie," whispered Sirius. "It seems our dear Potions Master have decided to speak ill of us during this meeting."

"Yeah, but he has another thing coming; trust me on this, mate!" said James while he was searching for something tucked inside his bathrobe's right pocket.

"That is enough, Iago," said Professor Dumbledore, efficiently calming the assembly. "Criticizing the other houses will not help Slytherin to recover lost points. And if you have objections about the way I run this school, I'd appreciate you to discuss those matters in the privacy of my office."

"Oh sure, sure... and all my suggestions would have been ignored! But I don't have time to waste with people who refuse to face facts: Hogwarts is polluted by First-Years who don't fit in, and actions must be taken. This is why I have spent hours observing the new students and I have just finished writing this report. And let me tell you this right now, my dear colleagues: this report will be sent to the Ministry of Magic tonight, with a recommendation that an Undersecretary comes here and inspect every corner of this castle," said Nitric, slamming the pages on the tablecloth.

A stupefied silence fell on the audience. Nitric asking a Ministry's representative to come to Hogwarts would create a terrible scandal. Only schools suspected of practising Dark Arts could be subjected to such an investigation, resulting frequently with arrests of You-know-who followers. It was rumoured that the Durmstrang Institute for Magical Learning had a Death Eater for a Headmaster and was under close surveillance from their Ministry's bureaucrats. And Nitric wanted the same kind of scrutinizing persons in Hogwarts?

"You can't do that!" yelled McGonagall.

"You can try and stop me," smirked Nitric. "In fact, I do hope you will try to prevent me from sending this report to the Ministry of Magic: it will only prove the truthfulness of my words."

"Iago, do you realize this kind of action would gravely damage Hogwarts' reputation?" said Dumbledore.

"Oh no, Headmaster, it will greatly improve it, quite the contrary! After the Ministry will learn what a bunch of dunces the First-Years are, some high-placed persons will approve my statement that some kind of children have nothing to do in this castle. I'll never believe the decisions of an old singing hat are enough to sort out real wizards and witches. It is far better to privilege quality over quantity, so higher entry standards must be established at once."

"What kind of higher entry standards?" yelled McGonagall. "Do you want a copy of the new students' pedigrees before we send the acceptance letters?"

"Oh, don't put words in my month, McGonagall!" shot Nitric back. "I merely pointed out the numerous First-Years who are obviously not intelligent enough to earn a magical education."

"A high majority of the children you have mentioned are Muggle-born or half-blooded," said Scott with a frown.

"Coincidences, merely coincidences," answered the Potions Master with a knowing smile. "It hasn't escaped your Auror training that I didn't say a word about Pure-bloodedness, now, has it?"

"Sneaky slug!" whispered James.

"But you **do** think that Purebloods wizards are better than the rest, don't you?" asked Scott.

"Why yes, I am convinced Purebloods are persons who have benefited from good influences since birth and therefore hold a high position within our society. Their family trees grant them inherent privileges that they have every right to use. Purebloods are aristocrats and this rank allows them to command the lesser-born, who'd better show the utmost respect for their own good."

"High-nosed snob," growled Sirius.

"However, I fail to see the purpose in sharing my opinion with you over that matter. As soon as someone says an aristocracy should prevail in our world, everybody screams for murder, and here come the Aurors! I am not a follower of You-know-who, but considering the state of depravation the magic world has fallen to, measures have to be taken to protect us from the descendants of ignoramuses who have persecuted wizards for centuries. Anyway, nothing will prevent me from sending this report to the Ministry of Magic. Nothing, do you hear me? NOTHING!" said Nitric as he pointed an imperative index finger on his pages in a dramatic gesture.

At the same moment, Sirius felt a light movement on his right and he turned his head just in time to see James putting a stick to his lips. For a second, he thought it was his friend's wand, but he quickly realized his mistake when the young Potter filled his lungs with air, made one extremity of the "stick" peek out of the Invisibility Cloak's folds, and blew inside the wood.

_Puff__._

A small projectile, too fast for the eye to see, was shot out of the "stick" and it hit the bottle of _Infinite Ink_ with a crystalline sound. Under the impact, the bottle toppled over and a flood of dark liquid fell all over the pages in a blink of an eye! The Potions Master screamed in horror at this sight, but it was too late: true to its reputation, the pouring _"enchanted fluid ink that couldn't fade even centuries after it had been used" _had irremediably covered the words painstakingly written by Nitric, making his denunciation work disappear under an impenetrable cover of opaque liquid. The other teachers were too stunned to react, apart from Scott who deftly caught the tiny projectile rolling on the table to make it disappear beneath his left hand.

"Jamie!" whispered Sirius. "What did you do?"

"I have gotten rid of a piece of junk mail, just like you did with your mother's Howler, mate!" answered James with a wink.

"But what is this "stick"?"

"It's a peashooter, actually, that I've made to shot seeds or wadded-up paper balls, but this time I used dried peas. I figured out Nitric would do something nasty, but I wouldn't have imagined he wanted to denounce us to the Ministry of Magic, the dirty backstabber! Thanks goodness that bottle was near the pages! I shot a dried pea and it did the trick, knocking down the ink and ruining all his hard work."

"It's a wonderful prank!" said Sirius in awe, watching with delight the scene deployed in front of his eyes.

The Potions Master had snatched the dripping-wet pages off the table with one hand while pointing his wand at them, casting repetitively the _Scrougify _spell. But _Infinite Ink_ had an inerasable quality, making it invulnerable to charms: it was the reason why it was used for official documents like testaments so there wouldn't be any doubt about their authenticity.

"_Scrougify! Scrougify!_" roared Nitric, but to no avail. The pages remained irremediably black. No matter how many times Nitric would cast the cleaning spell it would never bring his writing back!

Finally, after a few minutes of struggle, the Potions Master gave up on trying to save his work of denunciation. Unmindful of the ink colouring his fingers and his robe's sleeve, he stared in sheathing rage at the ruined report and his red face turned crimson after hearing the laughter of the other teachers, who were enjoying themselves at the sight of their detested colleague being thoroughly humiliated. Even Professor Scott seemed to have casted his Auror personae to the winds and he was laughing his head off, while hiding in his closed fist the dry pea James had shot from his tube.

"SILENCE! SILENCE!" roared Nitric in outrage. He crumpled the parchments into a soggy heap and threw it down on the tablecloth, making the bottle of _Infinite Ink_ fell from the table and it broke into a million pieces on the stone floor. "THIS IS A CONSPIRACY! A SABOTAGE! I WILL HAVE JUSTICE! YOU HAVE PLOTTED AGAINST ME! YOU..."

"Calm down, Iago!" said Dumbledore. "How in the world could we have conspired against you if nobody knew about this report before attending the meeting?"

"THEN HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THIS?" yelled Nitric, showing the ink-soaked pages maculating the tablecloth. "DO YOU WANT ME TO BELIEVE THAT BOTTLE OF INK FELL ON ITS OWN ACCORD, AND PRECISELY ON MY REPORT, JUST BY COINCIDENCE?"

"I cannot explain it right now, Iago; all I know is the teachers are completely innocent from any wrongdoings. None of us has drawn a wand or conjured a spell; no one has tugged at the tablecloth to make the bottle move. And we certainly don't rely on Dark Arts to spill ink all over reports."

"THEN HOW..."

"I may have an explanation, Professor Dumbledore," interrupted Scott.

All the heads turned towards the DADA teacher in one movement; James and Sirius bit their lower lips in anxiety: maybe Scott had spotted the end of Potter's peashooter poking out of the Invisibility Cloak's folds?

"Yes, Barisan?" asked Dumbledore.

"Well, Headmaster, the only logical explanation to my eyes is... the bottle of _Infinite Ink_ was knocked down by another action from Peeves."

"WHAT?!!" howled Nitric.

"Why, yes. You've heard about Peeves playing a dirty joke earlier, haven't you? Well, the Bloody Baron is probably chasing him around the castle, so it would be logical to think this mischief-maker has turned himself invisible to escape from his wrath.... and he has hidden in the Great Hall in the hopes the Baron won't pursue him here. And remember, Peeves is a poltergeist able to lift a whole bucket of Ghosts' Bogeys to stand at the top of an opened door; consequently, he wouldn't have any trouble toppling a bottle of ink over a bunch of parchment pages."

"ARE YOU MAKING FUN OF ME?"

"Absolutely not! In case it has escaped your attention, Hogwarts is habited not only by unfit First-Year students but also with ghosts, gnomes and magical creatures more numerous than I dare count. And you wonder why some objects seem to move as if of their own accord?"

Nitric looked like he was going to strangle the DADA teacher right in front of the Headmaster, but instead he howled a long and violent diatribe that involved Peeves, Hogwarts and the magical world, his enemies, the lack of recognition for Potions brewing, the unfairness of his professional situation, Scott, Muggles in general, the contempt he had suffered for years at the Ministry, how his hard work would be recognized one day and he predicted a long stay at St. Mungo's Hospital with no hopes for recovery awaiting everyone who had dared to mock him. As a final, he warned how the remains of the culprit responsible for ruining his report would never be found. And, with this last statement, the Potions Master stormed out of the Great Hall, loudly banging the door behind him.

"Boy, some teacher!" said Sirius.

"Have you noticed the atmosphere is "purer" now that he's gone?" laughed James, putting the peashooter back in his bathrobe's pocket.

"Jamie, this was a wonderful prank you've played. Do you think we could plan some more in the future?"

"Mate, nothing will stop us from doing so! With the Invisibility Cloak, we can sneak in the Dungeons and do a little sabotage in the Potions room, re-decorate the Slytherin's Common Room so it'd fit our tastes, spy on Malfoy to make out who is going to be his next victim... you name it! You and I are going to explore this castle from top to bottom, including the no-entry zones, and see for ourselves what could serve our purposes without the risk of being caught by Prefects or other busybodies."

Sirius looked at the teachers' table, and apparently the adults were breathing more easily now their venomous colleague had left the Great Hall. McGonagall was asking Dumbledore for the immediate removal of Nitric from the staff – under the approving eye of Pomona Demeter -, while the Headmaster was explaining in a condescending tone that it would be impossible, considering the lack of Potions Masters in the wizarding world and it would take months, even a year, to find a substitute and it would terribly affect the students' education and besides, Nitric had been under a lot of pressure recently, thus affecting his judgement, etc etc.

"Let's get out of here, Jamie. Dumbledore is playing Devil's advocate again," whispered Sirius.

"Yeah, you're right. Anyway, the rest of the meeting won't be interesting now that Nitric is out of the way. He must be disgusted for life with attending teachers' meeting. With that little stunt we've pulled, he'd have to be more cautious if he wants to send another poisonous letter to the Ministry. And writing doesn't seem to come easy for him!"

TBC...


	13. Hungry like the wolf

**Disclaimer:** the same as in Chapter 1.

**Author'****s notes:**

This chapter's title comes from the 1982 song by British band Duran Duran.

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* * *

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Chapter 1**3: Hungry like the wolf**

James and Sirius encountered no trouble on their way back to the dormitory – in fact, the most difficult thing for the boys was preventing themselves from laughing out loud. What a prank they have played on the disgusting Potions Master! His grandiloquence had been cut short like with a sickle after that bottle of _Infinite Ink_ had fallen down on his report; it would take months before Nitric would ever show his face in a Teachers' Meeting again, and James had already a few ideas to ridicule even more that snobbish, back-stabbing, cruel man posing as a professor. And it would serve him right!

The two boys quickly climbed the Grand Staircase and they finally reached the portrait of the Fat Lady guarding the entrance of the Gryffindor dormitories. The woman in pink was asleep in an armchair painted in gold colours and Sirius got a bit worried about how they would ever go to bed if the Fat Lady was too lost in Dreamland to open the door.

But James got it covered as well: he grabbed his peashooter, uncovered his head from out of the Invisibility Cloak and shot another dried pea. The projectile hit the portrait's wooden frame with a resounding smack, making the woman jump on her throne.

"Eh? Eh? What is it?" asked the Fat Lady, squinting from the light provided by the torches placed in brackets on the walls.

James ducked inside the Invisibility Cloak to avoid detection, and said: _"Salamander!"_

"What?" said the half-asleep portrait.

"_**Salamander!"**_ repeated James, a bit louder this time.

The Fat Lady's eyelids were too heavy to make out the contours of the room, but she recognized the password. Shrugging off the matter, she let her portrait to turn on its hinges, opening the round door. Minutes later, James and Sirius were back to the safety of their bedroom.

Samuel Whittaker Brown could be heard snoring softly behind the drawn curtains of his bed, Domino was curled up in his basket and Peter Pettigrew was an unmoving huddled mass under his crimson covers. Remus Lupin, on the other hand, was wide awake, reading by candlelight coming from a lantern set on the bedside table.

The sandy-haired boy lifted his eyes from his book as the bedroom door opened and closed, apparently on its own. But James shrugged the cloak off and Lupin had a small startle as his friends became visible again.

"Wow! Welcome back, guys!"

"Thanks, Remy. Well, it has been a very instructive trip!" said a smiling Sirius.

"C'mon, tell me all about it," said Lupin, gesturing to the young rebels to sit down on his bed. "Sammy and Peter have been asleep for hours so we can talk freely."

James neatly folded the Invisibility Cloak before stashing it in his trunk, and then he wasted no time retelling what had happened in the Great Hall a few hours ago: the Teachers' Meeting, Nitric in his usual nasty self, words of praise from Professors Filtwick and McGonagall, how the Potions Master had wanted to send a work of denunciation to the Ministry of Magic in a deliberate move to dirty Hogwarts' reputation and to make the life of non-Pureblood students a misery.

"And only James' quick thinking saved us all from disaster," added Sirius. "He had the genius idea to shoot a dried pea at a bottle of ink, making it topple over and it poured its contents on Nitric's report which is now absolutely unreadable; our dear Potions Master is the laughing stock of his colleagues!"

"But he never figured out what had happened?" asked Remus.

"He was too furious to think, mate!" laughed James. "He stormed off the Great Hall ranting and raving, promising Hellfire and punishments for the sabotage but he's so stupid he didn't even have the idea to cast a Detection Spell in an attempt to find the culprits."

"And a good thing too, otherwise a Detection Spell could have put us in trouble."

"No way, Siri. The Invisibility Cloak is too powerful to be outlined; I'm telling you, nothing or no one can see us as long as we remained under the cloak. Professor Scott suggested Peeves was the guilty party and Nitric is dumb enough to have swallowed that jibe hook, line and sinker!"

"But what was written in the report?"

"Only calumnies about students hated by Nitric: some Hufflepuffs, a few Ravenclaws, but we Gryffindors got the best of it! Of course, the Slytherins weren't even mentioned: they are such little angels, especially Malfoy..."

"Nitric slandered the Gryffindors in particular?"

"Yeah, especially Nicholas Perkins, Mary, Lily, Peter Pettigrew, James and myself. He also accused you of laziness, using your health as a pretext to skip classes," said Sirius.

"That's a lie!" exclaimed Remus. "I do have a condition and I study double time to make up for my absences..."

"Remy, you don't have to prove anything to us! We know you are not a faker. You have earned your grades fair and square; no one can discuss your integrity and your reputation as a serious student precedes you. You are at the top of the class in History of Magic and no skiver would bother with that subject, for crying out loud!"

"Yes, well you guys are not dunces either: Sirius is the best in Transfiguration and you, Jamie, are pretty good in Charms."

"Along with Lily Evans, I know," sighed James. "It is just my luck to be level-like with a girl who hates my guts because I refuse to make friends with her pet snake. Sirius doesn't have this kind of trouble with Mary!"

"By the way, Jamie... Haven't you noticed something odd in Nitric's slandering?"

The boys turned their heads towards Sirius, who was sitting on a corner of Remus' bed.

"Something odd? Well, no: I was sure our hated Potions Master would read the riot act about the Gryffindors, and it certainly happened. Why?"

"Because Nitric mentioned Lucius Malfoy as his star pupil, but we all know that isn't true. Malfoy has gotten mediocre grades in potions since the beginning of term, and he adamantly refuses to dirty his hands chopping herbs or gathering ingredients. He lets his goons Crabbe and Goyle do all the work and he only deigns to stir the mixture with an offended look on his face. No, the only First-Year who is good in Potions is..."

"Severus Snape," said James and Remus at unison.

"Lily's pal, that's correct. Now, why wasn't he mentioned during the meeting? The Slytherins are in deep trouble with 923 points to win back, one expelled student and three others just shy to be shown the door as well. As the Slytherin's representative, Nitric should grasp at any straw to regain a bit of prestige for his house; he claims indifference towards the House Cup but I happen to know some powerful families who do care about it! Gaining this trophy is considered a great honour and the glory of the winning house is reflected on its students. How do you think Slytherin-proud families will react at the end of the year, after learning their favourite house has scored so low?"

"They'll probably scream for murder," said James with a chuckle.

"Yes, with my parents screaming the loudest. And three guesses who would be held responsible for this situation?"

"The Head of Slytherin House," answered Remus.

"Correct again. So Nitric's job is on the line but also his reputation, his future, even his life since some people wouldn't hesitate to employ bodily harm, like it happened with Professor Demeter's brother. And yet, Nitric doesn't award Snape many points for all his good answers in Potions class, nor does he mentions that kid's name in front of the other teachers."

"What are you trying to tell us, Siri?"

The young Black sighed, and then he looked at his friends straight in the eyes before saying: "Guys, Severus Snape is a non-Pureblood."

"Are you sure?" exclaimed Remus.

"It's the only logical explanation. Nitric snobs Snape because of his family – Muggle-born or half-blood, it doesn't matter – and he wouldn't be caught dead praising a student of "altered" origins. It probably makes our detested Potions Master mad with fury that the only First-Year who manages to make head or tail of his lectures is a boy issued from a reprehensive marriage! That's the reason why Nitric doesn't bother with Snape."

"Well, it may explain why I've often seen that greasy-haired kid alone; at first, I thought he would be hanging around Malfoy and his goons but his Lordship would have a fit at the thought an inferior-born would approach him. I've seen Snape prowling around in the Library or in the gardens, and that's too bad he inspires only antipathy with that disdainful smirk of his," said James.

"Probably in an attempt to mimic a noble attitude: he makes a perfect imitation of my mother!"

The trio muffled their laughter with much difficulty after hearing Sirius' joke, especially James. Then, after much discussion involving future expeditions under the Invisibility Cloak in the Dungeons, the Slytherins' Common Room and even in Nitric's office, the boys regained their respective beds as it was getting very late and they didn't want to be tired for the upcoming Halloween celebrations. Remus blew off the lantern's candle and, within minutes, the dormitories' occupants were asleep.

All but one: Peter Pettigrew waited for fifteen minutes after the lights were out, and only then did he dare to lift his head from under the covers. He had listened to the secret conversation with an envious expression on his face and he was about to call out for James, Sirius or Remus but only light snores could be heard throughout the darkened dormitory. With a heavy sigh, Pettigrew let his head fell on his pillow, cursing his cowardice preventing him to talk with the young rebels since the first day of school.

* * *

The next day was October 30th and all of Hogwarts' students woke up bright and early for the beginning of the Halloween celebrations. To keep a semblance of discipline in the school, outdoor activities have been organized so the kids would spend their sugar-induced energy away from the classrooms: the First and Second Years could choose between walks in the Forbidden Forest under Hagrid's supervision, mock Quidditch matches on training brooms or owl racings. The oldest students mostly chose to spend money at the Hogsmead village for more Halloween candy or funny stuff at Zonko's, the tricks and jokes shop.

Sirius, James and Remus had opted for a promenade in the Forbidden Forest, not to stretch their legs but to get acquainted with those woods since their prohibited character could only mean very interesting things lived there! Coaxing information out of Hagrid had been a piece of cake, too: the friendly giant-sized gamekeeper was always eager to speak about magical creatures, especially the large and dangerous ones.

"What lives in de Forbidden Forest? Well, many creatures – centaurs, fer example; they dun't like bein' disturbed and they dun't trust humans, even young ones. Them bows are always on the ready and arrows missed me posterior by an inch more than once. The only decent one amongst them is Firenze, he's peaceful but the rest o' the herd despise him. There's the Giant Squid, too, but in autumn it hibernates in the deepest parts of the lake so yeh won't see it before March. Not to furget a huge spider living in the western parts of the forest, he's a friend o' mine. He has lutta children, always ready to bite at yeh! There're also blood-drinking bats, will-o'-the-wisps in the swamp that will make yeh go blind, mushrooms letting out toxic fumes and I think one or two werewolves are prowlin' around… (Remus' pale features turned a bit whiter at these words) but I'm not sure abbat that. The ones I cannut stand are the carnivorous worms with them sharp teeth: they are bigger than my hand and pester de life outta yeh if yah accidentally stomp on them. One tore to pieces me favourite pair of boots once, with me feet still inside!"

"Blimey! Are there only monsters in this forest?" asked James.

"No, no! There are also nicer beings, like the unicorns, the dragonfly-winged fairies – well, they stung yeh a bit, but not too badly -, the mermaids in the lake, the sapphire lizards... Why should yah worry, anyway? It isn't as if you're gonna walk in the Forbidden Forest alone!"

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of doing this!" said James with such an innocent look on his face Remus and Sirius nearly busted out laughing.

"Good lad! Besides, nutthing won't hurt ya as long as I am wif you. I have tramped in those woods way before yur Daddy was born and all the beasts know me, so they leave the children accompany me alone – and they'd better, if they know what's good fer them otherwise I'll kick their lower backs all the way frem here to London!"

Hagrid went on ranting about his efficiency as a gamekeeper and how the forest creatures wouldn't dare touching the students, impressing the bunch of First-Years trotting behind him while the Second-Years discreetly rolled their eyes heavenwards. However, a certain trio of Gryffindor boys remained behind to enjoy a discreet conversation.

"Well, well! The Forbidden Forest seems to have interesting tenants," said Sirius.

"You've said it, pal! Definitively worth a tour while being huddled under our favourite cloak," laughed James. "And I hope you'll feel better to come with us this time, Remy!"

"Oh, er... Well, I hope so, too."

"You are not worried about the animals Hagrid mentioned, are you?"

"No, I rather like forests. It may sound curious, but I've always felt safer there than in my bedroom at home. Forests give you a feeling of... liberty, but also of protection with all those trees, the burrows, the bushes. It gives endless possibilities to escape from predators."

"Still, we'll have to be careful, guys," said Sirius. "Hagrid said some creatures are dangerous; he even mentioned the presence of werewolves lurking about and I know you are nervous about them, Remy."

"Bah!" said James with a shrug, "the cloak will protect us; it erases not only our visibility, but also our scents. A werewolf wouldn't be able to find us even if it tried to sniff out our presence for hours."

The young Black looked reassured by James' words; but when he turned his head to address his sandy-haired friend, he stopped short as he saw Remus being immobile, his head held up and his attentive gaze fixed on the Forbidden Forest, inhaling deeply the air smelling of pines, decomposed leaves and humus with his nostrils dilated to the maximum.

Sirius was astonished: what was Remus playing at? The boy acted as if he were...

_... Smelling the air,__ like an animal._

But that was a ludicrous idea! Remus wasn't the kind to do wild things; in fact, his reasonable temperament was a healthy counterweight to Sirius' brashness and James' facetious nature, gently inviting them to think before acting. Sirius casted a glance at his other friend and he could see James was also puzzled by Lupin's strange behaviour.

Suddenly, Remus declared: "Hagrid is wrong, there are no werewolves in this forest."

"What? But how you can be so sure, Remy?"

"Er... Well, they have an unmistakable strong scent and this forest smells of lots of things, but not of werewolves. There are a couple of normal wolves, however, with a few cubs that will reach adulthood next spring; Hagrid must have found their footprints and he drew at the wrong conclusions. Ahem! It's getting late, guys, the others are way ahead of us and we shouldn't be separated. Let's shake a leg, shall we?"

And, without another word of explanation, Remus ran after the group which was slowly disappearing around a corner of the dirt track, leaving two astonished boys in his trail.

"What in the world has bitten him?" asked James. "Sometimes I really wonder if his condition doesn't affect his brains as well."

"And what did he mean by knowing how werewolves smell like? I thought he was scared to death of them, but all of a sudden he develops a liking to those creatures?"

James suddenly started to laugh: "Oh gosh, Siri! Remy has made fun of us! All this sniffing was nothing but a prank from our favourite bookworm."

"Are you sure? He looked so..."

"Serious, I know, but it's was all part of the act! That's the trouble with those stick-to-the-rules guys, we can't know when they're joking until it's too late. Remy is the last person in Hogwarts who could be suspected of acting the clown."

"But the stuff he said about wolves and their cubs, and..."

"Remy has really fooled us, mate; with his acting talents, he ought to go on stage! But he's right, let's join the group otherwise Hagrid will start yelling our names and draw unwanted attention upon our persons. With his size, he probably has a trumpet-like voice and we pranksters need to keep a low profile for the development of our illegal activities!"

The two boys ran after the group of First and Second-Years and within minutes, they were walking behind Hagrid's huge frame; James was still laughing about Remus' strange behaviour, but Sirius remained silent. He simply couldn't believe the young Lupin had played a joke: he seemed very sure of himself while declaring no werewolves were roaming in the Forbidden Forest. And the way he had smelled the air earlier, it made him act just like a...

_...dog._

Sirius took some pentagonal boxes of Chocolate Frogs out of his cloak's pocket; inwardly, he was furious at himself for comparing Remus Lupin, the world's most amiable boy, to an animal. It was ridiculous to be troubled by his friend's comportment; it had been only a joke, nothing to worry about. Why, being suspicious about everyone and everything was an attitude worthy only of Walburga Black!

"Have a Chocolate Frog, guys?" asked Sirius, offering the boxes to his pals. He was resolute to make amends for making strange comparisons about Remus, even if he hadn't expressed them out loud.

"Yeah, don't mind if I do," answered James.

"How about you, Remy, do you want one?"

"Oh yes! Thank you, Siri, it will help me to wait until dinner."

"Is your stomach growling already?"

"Guys, I'm hungry like the wolf!"

TBC...


End file.
